Master of Two Servants
by Loopstagirl
Summary: Morgana's plan didn't go quite right when Arthur arrived to rescue his servant. But what is a king supposed to do when he knows his most trusted friend has been cursed to kill him?
1. Chapter 1

_Another story for you! Figured that if I started posting, it might poke my muse back into life so I can carry on writing!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners._

_Hope you like and don't forget to let me know!_

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The night had been one of the longest ones in Arthur's life. It had taken him nearly an hour to force his way over the rockfall, wondering if he was just going to find his servant's cold body waiting on the other side. He still wasn't sure if it was a rush of dread or relief that had shot through him when there had been nothing there. The drag marks were obvious; they had taken Merlin with them. But why? If he was honest, Arthur wasn't completely sure he wanted to know the answer. He knew the reputation of bandits like these, and knew what they could do to someone as innocent as Merlin. Not to mention that while his servant always seemed to have a knack of surviving encounters unscathed, this one had already gone wrong for him.

Merlin was hurt and out there alone at their mercy. It was not something Arthur was going to stand for.

The tracks had been relatively easy to follow for a while and Arthur was convinced that come morning, he would be teasing Merlin for being caught as they both cantered their way back to Camelot. But even though he had stumbled across the bandit's camp at some point in the middle of the night (Arthur had lost all sense of time, knowing he had been stumbling around in the woods for almost a day now) and skirted it carefully, Arthur couldn't find his servant. He ventured as close as he dared, knowing that all rescue attempts would be gone if they caught sight of him, especially if they knew he was the King of Camelot. Whatever they would do to Merlin would be nothing compared to what they would do to him, and Arthur knew that he had to be cautious.

But despite not getting as close as he would have liked, Arthur knew that Merlin was not there. There was no shouts, no sign that the bandits had a prisoner. And from what Arthur could make out, there was nowhere that they would have been holding Merlin either.

So if he wasn't there, then where the hell was he?

Arthur would forever deny the fear that crept into his heart and took hold in that moment. Finding Merlin dead on the other side of the rock fall would be better than this. Maybe Merlin had escaped from them; his servant was talented at slipping away from tight situations? But Arthur had been roaming this part of the forest all night so far, surely he would have seen some sign that Merlin was escaping?

Arthur knew there was only one thing he could do even as he dragged a hand through his hair and blew out a long breath. He was exhausted, cold and had worry gnawing at him in a way he hadn't experienced since his father was injured. He couldn't lose someone else. He especially couldn't lose Merlin. He had been there in a way no one else had, not even Gwen. He hadn't tried to offer sympathy; he had just been there, a quiet yet strong presence who knew what Arthur needed even if the king didn't know it himself. Who would be there if he were to lose Merlin as well? Arthur wasn't honestly sure he would get through it, it was too soon.

Although he hated what he had to do, the king slipped away from the bandits' camp, resisting the opportunity to charge into the middle of them and use his sword to force them to tell him what had happened to his servant. Instead, he began to double back towards Camelot. He had looked everywhere he could without risking his safety too much. He knew that he wouldn't be much good in a fight the way he was right now, he needed help.

He needed the knights.

Arthur kept his steps light as he ran, knowing they would most likely be out looking for him. He managed a grin when he thought about Leon's reaction at arriving back in Camelot and finding that their king hadn't yet made it back. But the smile slipped as quickly as it had come when Arthur realised he could hear footsteps.

Dawn was just breaking; he knew he couldn't use the cover of darkness any longer. The footsteps multiplied; it was a small group. Normally, Arthur knew that he could take them, but considering everything the night had thrown at him so far, he also knew that he couldn't take the risk. For one thing, he knew that Merlin would never forgive him if he was hurt because he was too busy worrying over his servant to be paying attention. He knew that he would never admit it, but also knew that he was desperate for the chance to pretend to shrug off his concern. If he was pretending, it meant that Merlin was there to pretend to and everything would be okay.

But for now, Arthur just glanced around him. He drew his sword and quickly ran to a large tree. It wouldn't offer him much cover, but it would offer him some. Only when he was sure that he was hidden did Arthur control his breathing and force himself to concentrate. Very slightly, he shifted until he could peer around the tree, knowing that he couldn't be seen by whoever was stalking him. When he caught the flash of familiar red through the undergrowth, however, he almost laughed out loud. He had been right in thinking the knights would be out looking for him – it seemed they had just found him.

He didn't have the chance to call a greeting until Leon had given the signal for them to split up. Arthur deliberately stepped forward, letting his foot snap a branch when Leon was level with him. The knight's turn was predictable and Arthur blocked it with ease, seeing the relief spring into the man's eyes as they clasped arms. That blow would have never have reached him, Arthur knew all along that it was coming.

"Arthur!" Said man grinned at Leon's exclamation, using the knight's grip to pull himself away from the tree, almost swaying in exhaustion. He glanced around the knights and saw the same fatigue was reflected in their faces. They had clearly had no more rest than he had.

"Sire, where have you been?" Leon questioned anxiously, eyes roaming Arthur's face as he clearly tried to work out whether his king was injured or not. Arthur grimaced, but before he could say anything, another voice cut through the conversation.

"Where's Merlin?" Gwaine had never been one known for tact but Arthur found that he was wincing at the bluntness to hi tone. While he knew that even Gwaine would be careful what he said to some extent now that Arthur was king, he was also aware of quite how protective the knight was of the servant. If he thought that Arthur had failed Merlin by letting him be taken, then Arthur was certain that he would have no qualms about telling him.

"I don't know," Arthur replied honestly, sagging against the tree. His exhaustion and frustration must have shown in his face, for Elyan put a gentle hand on Gwaine's elbow and the man snapped his mouth shut from where he was clearly about to make another retort.

"We were…separated. By the time I got back to where I had last seen him, he was gone. He's not with the bandits either, I looked."

"You went near their camp on your own?" Leon exclaimed, disapproval clear in his voice. Arthur scowled.

"What was I supposed to do? Just leave him out here without even trying to get him back. But there is no sign of him anywhere! He's not with them, I'm sure of it. I'm assuming by the fact that he isn't bumbling around the forest with you means he never made it back to Camelot either. I just don't know!" In a way, Arthur wished he had tried to take on the bandits. At least it would mean that he wouldn't still have the pent up frustration and anger coursing through his veins. Before any of his knights could stop him, he had turned and sunk his fist into the tree. Although his knuckles almost immediately split open, Arthur knew he had held himself back enough not to have done any serious damage despite it hurting like hell. He knew how stupid that would be.

"Come on, Sire, you need to come back to Camelot." Leon gently took his arm and guided him away. Arthur let himself be led a few steps, but then stopped. He wrenched his arm free of Leon's grip, his eyes locked on a path that he hadn't yet seen. It curved away from not only Camelot, but from the bandit's camp as well. If someone had gone this way, Arthur knew that his searching wouldn't have revealed anything. He took a small step towards it, but Leon blocked his way.

"You need to rest…"

"I need to find Merlin. Go back to Camelot if you want sleep," Arthur retorted, knowing he was sounding more like a surly child than a king. But he couldn't return to Camelot without Merlin. He couldn't face Gaius and Gwen, couldn't see the looks on their faces when he told them what had happened. While Leon pursed his lips, looking disapproving again, Gwaine grinned. He stepped forward and joined Arthur in moving down the path. Elyan and Percival fell in behind them and Arthur knew that he wouldn't need to look around to know that Leon was also following. For as much as he wanted to get his king back behind the safety of the walls, Arthur knew his right-hand man was not about to leave him wandering the forest without Leon there for any longer than he already had done.

They travelled fast, but silently. A tension seemed to settle over the group as it became obvious that this was a path not often travelled. But judging by the way the branches were bent back, he knew someone had been here recently. It was spring, fresh growth covered the forest. Yet even the new growth had been snapped. Arthur found himself exchanging looks with Gwaine when the path ahead seemed to open up into a clearing. The knight had a shrewd look on his face, but he nodded.

With a few hand signals, Arthur gave the command for his men to spread out and work their way into the clearing from different angles on his signal. He still didn't know how the bandits had known where to find them and he wasn't taken any more chances. He couldn't afford to be any more surprises, couldn't take the idea of losing anyone else before they returned home. As he edged closer, Gwaine on his heels, Arthur felt a frown settling over his face.

There was a small hut in the middle of the clearing. Smoke was spiralling from a small chimney; the place was occupied. But as far as Arthur knew, no one had a permanent dwelling this far out in the forest. Before he could stop himself, he had shivered. There was a feeling in the air that he couldn't quite place, but it made him feel uncomfortable. Glancing to his left to see if Gwaine was feeling the same, his question was answered when he saw the frown on the man's face. Before he could give the signal to move in, the hut door opened.

Luckily for Arthur, his knight had his senses more about him than the king. Gwaine grabbed Arthur's shoulder and hauled him back, pushing him to the ground and out of sight when he saw who was emerging. Arthur let himself be manhandled, his mind too stunned to truly realise the danger he was in should he be seen.

He never would have guessed that Morgana would be hiding out in the forest, this close to Camelot.

The pair stayed crouched in the trees, almost holding their breath as they watched Morgana walk off into the forest. Luckily, she didn't head in the direction of any of the knights, but as soon as she was out of sight, Arthur had torn himself free of Gwaine's grip and run forward. He wasn't sure quite what he was experiencing, but a gut instinct told him that he had just found his servant. It made sense – she would see Merlin as a way of getting to him. Although he couldn't yet fit the pieces together as to why the bandits would willingly give up a prize like that, Arthur knew Merlin was in more danger than they thought.

He came around the side of the hut, peering through a slot in the wood. He almost sighed in relief when he saw a figure bound to the ceiling. She wouldn't tie up a dead man. Merlin was alive. Judging by the breath that Gwaine blew out directly behind him, Arthur knew he was not the only one relieved. He just made to head around to the door when he caught sight of Leon gesturing something desperately from the trees. For a moment, Arthur could only frown, trying to work out what his knight was telling him, but then he swore. Morgana was coming back. Neither he nor Gwaine were fast enough to get back to the cover of the trees. Grabbing the knight's wrist, Arthur flattened them both against the side of the hut and sent up a silent prayer that she didn't see them.

Considering the door opened and then banged shut again, Arthur knew they were in luck. He moved until he could see through the crack again, watching in horror as Morgana seemed to conjure a creature. It looked like a serpent, it just had multiple heads.

Arthur knew it couldn't bode well and made to rush in.

"She's too strong," Gwaine hissed, yanking his king back down again. If it had been anyone else, Arthur might have shaken off their warnings and accused them of just being too careful. But he knew Gwaine. This was the knight who _did _rush headlong into danger and not think of the consequences. If he was saying it was too dangerous, Arthur knew it was serious. Not to mention with Merlin tied, they would need time to cut him free. Arthur didn't know how strong Morgana was, but he knew now was not the time to put it to the test and he simply gritted his teeth and let Gwaine hold him down.

They couldn't make out the words Morgana was saying, but Arthur was almost certain that she was trying to goad Merlin. He was surprised that his servant was staying quiet, that was most unlike Merlin. But he also knew the silence would annoy Morgana, not giving her anything that she could work with if Merlin didn't express how he was feeling. Arthur could take a guess though. He knew that he would be utterly terrified if the witch had him bound like that, even though he wouldn't show it. Morgana seemed to want Merlin dead as much as she did Arthur, and the king was sure that it wasn't out of the kindness of her heart that Merlin was still alive.

As she moved across the hut, a twisting serpent's head in her hands, Arthur knew they had to move. It didn't matter anymore. If he stayed crouched here while she worked her magic, Merlin was as good as dead anyway. Her words were clearer now, and the king felt goosebumps break out up and down his arms when he heard what she was telling Merlin. She was going to take his mind? His soul and his very essence?

Arthur thought he would have to fight Gwaine for the man to let his king run into danger. But the knight had heard the words as well and leapt up at the same time. Both men sprinted around the hut for the door, drawing the attention of the rest of the knights as they did so. Elyan and Percival burst from the cover of the trees to their left and Leon ran in from the right just as Arthur reached the door. He paused, waiting for the knights when Morgana's final words filtered out through the wood.

"You must kill Arthur Pendragon."

Without any warning, he let his foot swing and it almost was ripped off its hinges.

But they were too late.

Merlin's scream rang in his mind as he watched his sister force something into the man's neck before he seemed to pass out. Morgana hadn't even flinched at the door opening, but slowly turned to face them, a smirk on her face.

"I would love to stay, but why miss all the fun?" She mocked. Her hand rose and Arthur could only wince as all of the knights were slammed into the wall. By the time Arthur regained his footing, Morgana was gone.

But Arthur knew why.

She always had had a flare for the dramatic. Her curse had been placed, Merlin would have no choice but to do her bidding. Arthur knew that the fact he knew about it just added to her satisfaction. Would he have to kill his friend in order for Camelot to have a king? That alone would almost kill him, something Morgana was fully aware of.

For now, however, all he could do was watch as Elyan made short work of untying Merlin and Percival draped the unconscious servant over his shoulder. Arthur felt as if his heart was jumping through his throat. Merlin had always been lucky in the past, maybe their interruption would have been enough to stop the spell from taking hold properly? Maybe the man would be absolutely fine once he woke up.

Arthur knew that it was just wishful thinking on his behalf. He could feel Leon's eyes on him, knew that the knight wanted to know what his orders were. Arthur should have been grateful, knowing that the man would save him the pain by dealing with Merlin himself.

But Arthur shook his head and walked out of the hut after Percival.

He would do nothing until Merlin woke up and they knew for sure whether he was a threat. And after then, if something needed to be done… Arthur knew he would find every alternative first. He was not going to let Merlin die for him.

Not again.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! Feeling the pressure through the amount of people who say this is their favourite episode. Just hope you like what comes next._

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No one was talking as they set up camp. Percival had placed Merlin on the ground and Elyan had set about making a fire next to the unconscious servant, all of them knowing that the warmer they could get the man, the better. Gwaine had a face like thunder and had stalked off in order to find firewood, but Arthur had gestured for Leon to go after him. He knew that the knight was more likely to try and get back to the hut and take on Morgana for himself for hurting Merlin, and Arthur couldn't risk losing anyone else.

Not that he had lost Merlin, not yet anyway. Arthur refused to believe that his servant had just been enchanted to kill him. Despite the mocking words he always threw Merlin's way, Arthur knew that the slighter man was strong. Maybe not physically, but he had a strength of mind that Arthur wasn't sure he himself possessed. If anyone was to fight of a curse, it would be Merlin.

The sounds of Gwaine and Leon in the trees made Arthur sigh as he sat down. He knew that he had been right in thinking that Gwaine had no intention of collecting firewood, but Leon knew how to calm him down. The older knight knew how to calm them all down, but Arthur wasn't sure even Leon's soothing words would be able to banish the feeling of dread coiling in the king's stomach. He gestured for Percival and Elyan to come closer, unwilling to move more than a few paces away from Merlin in case the man should regain consciousness. Arthur sighed as he stared down at the still form of his servant. It was just wrong having Merlin this quiet.

"Sire?" Elyan's soft voice cut through Arthur's troubled thoughts and he looked up to find both men watching him closely with sympathetic expressions on their faces. Arthur refused to acknowledge the look, refused to think about how it almost made them look like they were grieving for their friend. Merlin wasn't dead, and for all they knew he would be fine! Arthur refused to let an alternative be true.

"Gwaine is Merlin's friend. He would protect him beyond anything, even me. Leon is the opposite, he will only think of keeping me safe. I can't trust either of them to do what is right, so I am trusting you two. If Merlin…tries anything when he wakes up, I want him restrained. Under no circumstances are you to hurt him, the only force used is that which is required to stop him from killing me, understand?"

"Yes, Sire," Percival seemed to be speaking for both of them as Elyan dipped his head. Arthur dismissed them with a flick of his hand, satisfied that they would do as he asked. They needed to get Merlin back to Camelot, for Arthur was sure that Gaius would know what to do. But Arthur knew he also had to ensure that Merlin made it back without someone trying to protect their king and forgetting the fact that the servant wasn't acting of his own free will.

"Wake up, you lazy sod," Arthur muttered, prodding Merlin with his toe. "I didn't go gallivanting through the forest for the entire night trying to find you to have you pass out like some damsel, you know. It doesn't make the whole rescuing thing nearly as much fun when I can't make you squirm about it."

Arthur's voice sounded flat even to himself and he sighed, taking off his cloak and lying it over Merlin. There was a deep frown on the king's face and Arthur wasn't sure that he had ever felt so out of his depth. So when Merlin's face crumpled slightly just as Arthur was sitting back and his whole body seemed to shift, the king felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Merlin? Merlin, can you hear me?" He didn't notice that Leon and Gwaine had returned, both glancing over with worry in their eyes as Arthur continued to call to his servant. He was sure that he hadn't imagined the movement, Merlin was beginning to stir. It took a little while longer before he got anything more than one of Merlin's limbs twitching slightly, but eventually, Merlin's eyes cracked open a little.

"A'rtur?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. Arthur smiled gently as he moved into Merlin's eye line, trying to get the man to focus on him now that his eyes were opening. He could see the fear in them and knew that it meant Merlin remembered being in Morgana's hut. Arthur wasn't sure why, but he found that to be something of a relief. If he remembered being there, then it might mean that he remembered the curse. Fighting against something when you know it existed had to be easier than fighting against something you didn't know was there.

"I'm here, Merlin. You're safe, Morgana is gone."

"Morgana?" Merlin had a deep frown on his face as he struggled to sit up. Arthur's cloak fell from around his shoulders and the king found himself blushing as Merlin let his fingers touch the material gently with a small, knowing smile on his face. "She had a snake thing…she…"

Merlin's eyes widened in alarm and Arthur knew that he had just remembered precisely what the witch had done to him. He made to scramble backwards, but Arthur quickly put his hand on Merlin's shoulder to stop him from moving into the fire. Merlin struggled weakly, fear still deep in his eyes.

"You have to get away, she did something to me, I have to…"

"Kill me, yes I know. But considering we are having a conversation rather than you making any attempts on my life, I would say that the curse failed, wouldn't you?" Arthur watched closely as Merlin's frown deepened. This time, the king knew that Merlin was searching himself to find out if there was anything else controlling him or whether he was the only one present in his mind.

Judging by the way Merlin's eyes widened and he seemed to forget breathing, Arthur had a horrible feeling it was the former. He knew that they were lucky that Merlin was lucid for now, it would make holding him back harder, but also ensured that the knights knew Merlin didn't have a choice if he did suddenly lose control.

"Arthur…" It didn't matter what they had gone through during their time together. Arthur had never heard such obvious terror in Merlin's voice, the fact that he whispered his name made it far worse than if he had shouted it. Arthur smiled, putting a hand on Merlin's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"It's going to be alright. I won't let you hurt anyone, least of all me."

"But…"

"Merlin. Listen to me. You're not going to hurt anyone." Despite knowing that Merlin never usually listened to him, Arthur could see the fear residing slightly. There had been something in his tone that had made it through the terror in Merlin's mind and reassured him as the servant nodded softly. Arthur gave a small smile, clapped Merlin on the shoulder and moved back to see what the rest of the men were doing.

He only had time to notice that they had all watched the exchange closely before Leon's eyes widened in alarm.

"Sire!"

Arthur was already turning at Leon's call, his forearm coming up to block as Merlin lunged for him. Judging by the way the servant's hands were outstretched and grasping, Arthur had a feeling that he had been going for his throat. But he never got the chance, for the king simply wrapped his own hands around Merlin's wrists and held him fast. The servant wrenched backwards and struggled, the fear in his eyes now being replaced by hate as the curse took over his mind for a moment. Despite knowing that it wasn't Merlin, it still cut Arthur deeply to see the man he trusted above anyone else looking at him with the intent to kill him burning out of his normally cheerful expression.

"You're a fool if you think you can stop me," Merlin spat, struggling against Arthur's hold. But he wasn't going anywhere, he simply wasn't a match for the king physically. Arthur sighed sadly, moving backwards until he had Merlin pressed against a tree and simply restrained him there by resting his arm across the base of Merlin's throat. The angle meant Merlin's arms couldn't rise enough to continue towards Arthur's throat and he couldn't reach anywhere else.

Eventually, the struggles ceased and Merlin buried his head in his hands with an anguished cry. Arthur almost roughly grabbed his chin and tilted Merlin's face towards him, sighing in relief at seeing the upset apparent in his expression rather than the hatred. Whatever had just happened was over now, Merlin had managed to regain a little control. It was his servant looking back at him for the time being.

"Merlin?"

"I'm sorry, so sorry…" Merlin spluttered and Arthur stepped back with a sigh.

"You have nothing to apologise for. We're going to find a cure for this. We're going to get you back to Camelot and Gaius will know what to do, understand?" Once again, Arthur could hear the firm note in his voice and Merlin seemed to react to it. That was what they were going to do because Arthur wouldn't let any other scenario play out. He was the king, he made the rules about what happened in his kingdom, not Morgana. And Arthur had no intention of letting his friend be used as an assassin against him.

"Sire?" Hearing Leon's questioning call, Arthur remembered to back away a little further before turning his back on Merlin this time. Nothing happened though, and he breathed a sigh of relief at knowing it was his servant who was in control of his mind for now. His knight passed him a plate of food and by the time Arthur turned back to Merlin, Gwaine was already there. The man had two plates in his hand and Arthur could only watch as he handed one to Merlin, talking softly. Whatever he said drew a watery smile from Merlin as he nodded and took the offered plate. Before Arthur could say anything, Elyan had also stepped between the two men. Arthur was sure that the blacksmith was there to keep an eye on both Merlin and Gwaine, clearly keeping in mind what Arthur had asked of them. But still, the king knew what his knights were doing. They were making sure that Merlin had to go through them first before he got to Arthur.

Sighing, the king sat down and picked at his own food. He had no appetite. While he knew that he would try everything in his power to make sure that Merlin was cured, he knew that he didn't have a clue what he was doing. Morgana must have been convinced that her curse was unbreakable considering she had left it to Merlin to finish Arthur off instead of killing him back in the hut. Arthur knew that his sister was no fool. She knew what she was doing, and if she was convinced that the curse would be enough to get Arthur killed, then the chances were that was the case.

"Sire, you shouldn't be alone with him," Leon murmured, coming to sit next to Arthur. He kept his voice low and soft to try and make sure that Merlin didn't hear, but then gave it away by glancing over towards the servant. Arthur followed his gaze at the same moment that Merlin looked up, and that one glance was all he needed to know that Merlin was aware they were talking about him.

"I can handle him. He can't kill me, Leon, he doesn't have the strength. Even if the curse takes his mind entirely, I can physically best Merlin any day."

"And what if he tries other approaches rather than physical? What if he tries to poison you? Or lead you into a trap?"

"You think I would be that stupid?" Leon didn't answer, but Arthur realised that he didn't have to. He had already spent the night running around a bandit infested forest trying to find Merlin rather than heading for the safety of Camelot. He was fully aware that if Merlin went somewhere and appeared to be in trouble, Arthur would follow. For all he knew, Merlin would be able to lead him into a trap. Leon's concern was not for nothing. Arthur sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'll be fine. We'll take turns at guarding him out here, and then when we are back in Camelot I'll give him the day off. We'll have it figured out before he gets more than one chance, trust me."

There was nothing Leon could say without knowingly disagreeing with his king. Despite knowing the man was probably thinking it, Arthur knew he wouldn't say it out loud. Leon took his position too seriously. Gwaine and Merlin were the only ones who would openly protest to what Arthur said if they didn't agree. And right now, he had a feeling that Gwaine would just nod and agree to make sure that he didn't do anything to be sent away from Merlin. Arthur knew that if anyone would protect his servant, it would be Gwaine.

The rest of the meal passed in silence, each man occupied with their own thoughts. Arthur didn't need to ask to know what was running through their minds, they were all thinking of ways that they would be able to get Merlin back.

"I'll take first watch," Gwaine muttered. Arthur nodded. He had wanted to claim it for himself, but he knew that he had to let his men do what they were trained to do. The next few days were going to be hard, especially on him. He had to deal with his best friend trying to kill him. Arthur knew that now was the one time he could sleep before that thought took over his mind too much and he quickly dismissed the rest of the knights, ordering them to also get some rest.

As he spread out his sleeping roll, Arthur sighed. This was all wrong. Normally it was Merlin spreading it out and then trying to wedge himself in where there really wasn't space. Arthur let his head roll to the side, watching where Gwaine had once again sat down next to Merlin. Whatever he was saying clearly didn't have an impact this time around as Merlin simply shrugged. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. Arthur knew Merlin better than the servant realised and could see the defeat slump to his posture. It was that more than anything that made him swear silently that he was going to get Morgana for this. Merlin was always there by his side when things went wrong, and now because of the nature of the curse, Arthur wasn't sure that he could be there for Merlin.

Sleep didn't want to come to him that night and Arthur was still awake even when he heard Elyan taking over Gwaine's watch. Merlin seemed to have drifted off to sleep and Arthur sighed, climbing to his feet. Elyan shot him a look, but Arthur just shrugged, sheathed his sword and moved away from the camp. He wasn't going to go far, he knew there were still too many dangers out in the forest that would claim his life before he had the chance to yell for help. But he needed space to think, to work out what was going on and how he was supposed to react.

He knew that if it was anyone else, it would be almost easy. He would have them bound and escorted back to Camelot, placing them in the cells where they couldn't hurt anyone while a solution was figured out. But this was Merlin. He couldn't do that to him, not when he knew that the man would never chose to hurt Arthur, despite how much they both moaned at the other nearly every day.

The night time sounds of the forest and being alone helped calm Arthur's turmoil of emotions and he allowed himself to let his guard down a little bit. He leant against a tree, letting his hand rest loosely on the pommel of his sword but otherwise relaxing. The soft sound of footsteps behind him made him just turn his head.

"You shouldn't be out here, Merlin," he called softly, wondering how Merlin had got past Elyan. There was no way the knight would let both master and servant wander off considering the curse. But he had been on enough hunts with Merlin to know that it was him approaching; the knights could move with far more stealth than that. When no answer met his words, Arthur frowned. He pushed himself away from the tree and turned, eyes searching in the darkness. The footsteps had stopped but he could feel that there were eyes watching him. Very slowly, he drew his sword, searching. He didn't want to call for aid if Merlin just needed some time alone and didn't know that his king was also out here.

The cold trickle he could feel running down his spine, however, told him that Merlin was here. The soft sound of a branch snapping made Arthur curse as he whirled back around, realising with a start that Merlin was now right in front of him, barely a pace away. How had he moved so silently, Arthur didn't know. He was sure that in all their years together Merlin had never managed that. Arthur swallowed, realising by the somewhat blank expression on Merlin's face that it wasn't his servant looking back at him, not really.

"Merlin?" Any further words were driven from Arthur's mind as he realised that Merlin was swinging for him again.

Only this time, there was a knife in his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm sorry I'm really all over the place right now and not getting back to people like normal. Trying to sort it all out, honest! Thank you so much for the reviews/support etc, it does mean the world to me, truly!_

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"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur took a step backwards, shifting his grip on his sword into a more ready stance. He didn't want to have to use it, he knew the damage he could inflict with the weapon in his hand and it wasn't like it was Merlin's fault. But he also knew that he couldn't just stand here and wait for Merlin to kill him. Arthur's movement had taken him out of Merlin's reach, but the servant quickly corrected his balance, also altering his grip on the knife.

"Merlin, this isn't you… You have to fight it."

"How do you know it isn't me?" Merlin spat, and Arthur was once again forced to remind himself that his servant was being controlled. Morgana certainly knew how to hurt him, however, for if there was one person in the whole of Camelot who could get to Arthur with nothing more than a few harsh words, it was Merlin. This was the man who had always believed in him even when Arthur had lost faith himself. It would normally be Merlin who would be the one to reassure him that they would find a way to overcome this.

"You don't know me at all, you never have and never will. What right do you have to tell me what is and isn't me? You don't even know who_ you_ are half of the time."

"And who am I, Merlin?" Arthur began slowly walking backwards, keeping his eyes locked on his servant. He was moving towards the camp, trying to goad Merlin into following him. He knew that he could get the knife out of his friend's hand, but didn't want to risk hurting the man until he knew that he had no choice. With any luck, the knights would be alert enough to take note of the situation and help him disarm Merlin without hurting him.

"You?" Merlin let out a shrill laugh that made the hairs on the back of Arthur's neck stand up. "You are nothing more than a scared little boy who was always after Daddy's approval. But who have you got now, Arthur? He's dead."

Arthur flinched. Despite telling himself it wasn't Merlin, there was no way he could stop the words from cutting deeply. He had always prided himself on being able to shield his emotions, his father had driven that into him from a young age. But Merlin had crashed through those boundaries the first day he had arrived in Camelot and Arthur knew that the man stalking towards him right now would be able to see how badly that had hurt. To his surprise, there came no further mocking comment to his display of weakness and when Arthur looked up, it was to find that Merlin was leaning against a tree, clutching his head with one hand.

"Merlin?" Arthur lowered his sword slightly but didn't dare take a step forward. Not when Merlin still had the knife in his hand.

"Run…" The word was barely a whisper and a cry of pain escaped Merlin as soon as he said it. He sunk to his knees and Arthur could only stare. What was it costing Merlin to resist the curse like this? How was he even able to?

"Go, Arthur…" Despite the obvious plea in Merlin's tone, Arthur knew that he couldn't just leave him there. He readied his sword and carefully approached, making sure that he kept the steel between Merlin and himself. In all honesty, Arthur wasn't sure what good it would do. It wasn't like he would be able to kill Merlin, even if the man was coming for him again.

"No!" Merlin clearly sensed Arthur's approach and tried to move backwards. Arthur simply lengthened his stride and reached down, grabbing Merlin by the arm and hauling him upright again.

"Come on, idiot. I'm not leaving you here, you'll probably get eaten by a bear or something." Arthur shifted his grip until he could support Merlin's weight and began dragging him back towards the camp. Merlin was squirming, fighting to get away but Arthur wasn't giving him a choice. What kind of king, what kind of _friend_ would he be if he left Merlin out here when it was clear that he needed help?

About halfway there, Arthur felt the man go rigid with tension. It was warning enough for Arthur to duck away from Merlin, but he didn't have time to lift the sword before Merlin was swinging for him again. Arthur acted on instinct, the sword dropping from his hand as he brought up his forearm to block the blow, catching Merlin's wrist against his arm, the knife stopping inches from his face.

"Merlin, you fool, you were winning…" Arthur grunted, surprised with just how much force Merlin had put into the blow. There was almost something un-human about it, and before Arthur knew what was happening, his knees were beginning to buckle. Merlin had a wild look on his face as he steadily forced Arthur down to the floor, and Arthur was telling himself that it was the dim light that made it look like Merlin's eyes were glowing. It had to be a reflection of the fire or something like that. Arthur refused to think about how they were too far from the camp for the fire to be glowing that brightly, but he had other matters to deal with. Namely the fact that he was now down on one knee and needing all of his strength to keep Merlin's knife away from him.

The intent to kill was still burning out of Merlin's expression and Arthur sighed. Muttering an apology, the king struck out in quick succession. He landed three blows on his servant around his midriff and while Merlin was trying to get his breath back, grabbed Merlin's legs behind his knees and simply pulled. How the knife didn't hit someone, Arthur had no idea, but Merlin toppled to the ground. Arthur immediately yanked the knife from his hand and tossed it away into the undergrowth. He would deal with where Merlin had got it from afterwards.

The servant bucked and struggled for a long moment before he finally fell back, panting. Arthur had somehow managed to get hold of Merlin's wrists, holding them firmly as he watched Merlin closely. The tension leaked away from him almost as quickly as it had come and Merlin blinked. Instantly, the strange colouring (that Arthur was still refusing to think about) faded from his eyes and tears immediately flooded them as he went limp in Arthur's grasp. The king held on for just a moment longer to make sure this wasn't some sort of trick before he sat back. He didn't realise he was panting himself until he rolled off Merlin and got to his feet again.

"Is that you?" he asked gruffly, not able to let the concern show considering the comments Merlin had already made. The servant tearfully nodded and Arthur blew out a long breath, finally getting his breathing back under control as he ran his fingers through his hair and picked up his sword, sheathing it again.

"Sire!" The shout came from behind him and Arthur held up his hand as he heard the knights heading their way. Leon and Gwaine skidded to a stop next to him, both looking down at Merlin on the floor. Arthur could almost feel the concern radiating from Leon, only rivalled by the anger coming from Gwaine.

"He's okay," Arthur muttered, knowing that the latter believed Arthur had hurt him. As if on cue, Merlin slowly sat up, burying his head away again rather than facing his friends. Somehow, that hurt almost as much as the words Merlin had spat at him. "How did he get past Elyan?"

"He knocked him out," Leon muttered, disbelief lacing his tone. Arthur turned to look at him, eyebrows raised in astonishment. Leon met his gaze steadily, a sign that he was telling the truth.

"Must have been a solid blow the fact that none of us heard anything. Took his knife as well. It was only because Gwaine woke up that we even knew that the pair of you were missing. Did anything happen?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Arthur responded sharply, casting Merlin a glance as he did so. He knew what his first knight was like, and knew that Leon would be the one to worry more over Arthur than Merlin. He didn't want the man to feel like he had to turn on Merlin, not when everything was under control. He made to take a step forward to once again get the man to his feet, but Gwaine held out a hand.

"I've got this, princess," he murmured, none of his usual mockery in his voice as he approached Merlin. Just as Arthur had only a few moments ago, he took his arm, pulled him upright and began taking him back to camp. This time, Merlin complied.

"Arthur…"

"I know," the king sighed. It didn't matter whether he thought that Leon was being overcautious or not. While Arthur didn't want to admit it, he knew one thing for sure.

Right now, Merlin was dangerous.

MMM

Percival had managed to coax Elyan back around by the time Arthur got back to the camp and both men offered Merlin small smiles. The king could see that Merlin tried to return it, but clearly felt that he couldn't. No one spoke, let alone ask what had happened. It was as if saying it out loud made it that little bit more real, and none of them were quite prepared to do that.

Arthur ordered the others to get some rest, fixing them with a glare that they knew not to cross. The knights resumed their previous positions around the fire, yet Arthur was fully aware that they weren't asleep. He himself settled down facing the tree that Merlin was leaning against. He could see that the servant was squirming under the gaze, but Arthur had no intention of moving.

"You should get some rest," Merlin muttered quietly, playing with a stray thread on his sleeve.

"So should you," Arthur retorted, making it quite clear that he wasn't going anywhere. Merlin glanced over at him for a second, but seemed completely unable to meet Arthur's eyes and swiftly looked away again. Arthur sighed.

"It's not your fault, Merlin."

"I should have stopped her," the servant muttered, his whole posture defeated and slumped. Arthur tried to resist the urge to bang his head against a tree, wondering if Merlin would be freed of the curse if he killed himself that way.

"There wouldn't have been anything you could have done. She probably would have killed you if you resisted too much."

Arthur didn't mean anything by his words, but Merlin suddenly stiffened.

"Kill me? That's it! Arthur, you have to kill me!"

"Excuse me?" Arthur stared at Merlin as if he had lost his mind. To his discomfort, Merlin met his gaze for the first time in hours, staring back earnestly.

"It's the only way you can be safe. If you kill me, I can't kill you…"

"You're not going to kill me, Merlin, stop being so ridiculous…"

"Arthur, _please…."_ Arthur stared. He had never heard Merlin sound this desperate. The closest it had come was when Arthur had had no choice but to send him away with Lancelot after the Doracha had attacked, knowing it was the only chance that Merlin had at surviving. There was the same look in his eyes now, the same desire to do absolutely anything to protect Arthur even if it meant dying himself. Arthur hated the look. Not because he doubted that Merlin would do it, but because he knew he would. Merlin would die to make sure Arthur was safe, and the very thought made Arthur feel sick.

"No."

"I'll kill you, I'll hurt you…."

"No, you won't."

"_Arthur!"_ If it had been any other situation, Arthur would have found it amusing that he was able to wind Merlin up so much just by staying calm. But the desperation in Merlin's voice meant there was absolutely no humour in Arthur's whatsoever. Before he had the chance to say anything else, Merlin had stood up. Arthur was aware of Leon rolling over to glance their way, but the king shook his head, not moving as he watched Merlin approach him.

"I'll kill you," Merlin stated, his voice deepening. His fingers flexed and Arthur just knew that he was going to go for his throat again. But rather than flinch, Arthur simply watched Merlin approach. As soon as his servant was in reach, he stuck out his foot and tripped Merlin up, shaking his head as the man instantly stumbled and ended up on the floor again.

"If I'm not going to kill you when you actually mean it, I'm certainly not going to do it when you are pretending."

"You… you knew? You knew I was pretending?" Arthur nodded curtly as Merlin simply stared at him.

"Despite what you clearly think, I know you better than you believe," he said quietly. He knew the way that Merlin hid everything behind an easy grin, knew the way the man's eyes burned with his pain and emotions when he wouldn't let himself voice them. He knew that however good he thought he was at hiding his emotions, Merlin was ten times better. He knew that his servant had long since hidden something from him, something that was often on the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't see everything, Arthur knew that he couldn't deny that. But he did see more than Merlin gave him credit for, and judging by the way the servant suddenly flushed, Merlin had just realised that.

"I don't want to hurt you, Arthur."

"Damnit, Merlin, will you just stop talking about it? You've tried three times to kill me, and I've stopped you each time. You don't suddenly just become a warrior, you aren't going to kill me."

"Not if I kill myself first." Before Arthur could react, Merlin had lunged for Arthur's sword. He managed to draw it free before Arthur got to his feet, watching as his servant tried to hurry out of his reach. Arthur had had enough though, and he moved swiftly. In just a few moments, he had disarmed Merlin with nothing more than a solid punch. It was harder than he should have done, but Merlin's defeatist talk was really beginning to irritate him. Leon jumped to his feet at the movement and Arthur glanced at him.

"Get some rope," he almost snarled, bringing Gwaine to his feet with his words.

"What are you doing?" The man started forward angrily, but Arthur's glare kept him where he was. He seized Merlin's wrists, wrapping the servant's arms around himself while pinning him back against his own body. Merlin was struggling for all he was worth, but Arthur wasn't letting go.

"Stopping the idiot from believing that quitting is the way out," Arthur snapped and Merlin tried to get free.

"I'm trying to protect you!"

"And I'm trying to protect you, you fool! You can't help what she did to you, Merlin. You aren't going to kill me and you sure as hell aren't going to kill yourself. We'll get back to Camelot, back to Gaius and he will know what to do the same way as he always has, understand?"

There was something furious in Arthur's voice and Merlin went limp. Arthur didn't trust him though. He knew that Merlin would fight with everything he had in order to make sure that he didn't turn on his king, yet Arthur wasn't so sure he would fight that hard in order to make sure that he stayed alive. Arthur wasn't taking the chance, but luckily their words had made the others realise what was going on. Percival came over and Arthur relinquished his grip on the struggling servant. Merlin didn't have a chance to so much as think of running before the largest knight had pushed him against a tree. Merlin once again studied the floor as Leon came over, almost gentle in his movements as he lashed Merlin's wrists together.

"Keep all weapons out of his reach, don't untie him without my say so and do not let him wander off alone," Arthur ordered quietly, making sure that all of his men heard him. Merlin was blinking back tears as Leon stepped back and the knights could only stare down at him in sorrow. Merlin was always the cheerful one out of the lot of them, the one with words of optimism even when things got too much. To see him this subdued and desperate was a blow to each of them.

Arthur walked away, feeling Merlin's eyes on his back. If he heard the man claim that he needed to die to keep Arthur safe one more time, the king wasn't entirely sure what he would do. To his surprise, Gwaine fell into step with him.

"We'll get him back, Arthur. You'll see."

Arthur glanced at him. "You do realise that we are up against Morgana? When have we ever won that?"

"When have we ever technically lost?" Gwaine retorted, his eyes burning. "We are going to get him back, because if we don't, Arthur Pendragon, I'm going to kill you myself."

Gwaine didn't wait for Arthur's answer, just turned and walked off. Arthur knew that he should be angry, knew that he should be accusing Gwaine of treason and having the knight restrained as well.

Yet all he could feel was the relief that someone would be there to protect Merlin just in case. Arthur knew it was one thing saying that Merlin would never be able to kill him, but there had been that glow in his eyes. Not to mention they didn't know how strong the curse would get and what would happen. At least if Merlin succeeded, Gwaine would be there to keep him out of trouble afterwards.


	4. Chapter 4

The mood was sombre and heavy the next morning, but Arthur hadn't expected anything else. It had been bad enough when they had been pulling Merlin unconscious from Morgana's hut, but upon realising quite the lengths that he would go to in order to try and keep Arthur from harm had been a shock to each of them. It was one thing for Merlin to be killed in a fight, he was a servant surrounded by knights, after all. But for him to actually be thinking of taking his own life just in case he did something to hurt his master… It made Arthur realise just how dangerously loyal Merlin was to him. But it also meant that he knew it wasn't just him that Morgana was trying to hurt with this spell. Merlin would never be able to forgive himself if he actually succeeded in the one thought that took over his mind.

Arthur wasn't sure how much sleep the rest of the knights got, for they looked as exhausted as he felt. Merlin had seemed to have dozed off despite his awkward position, but Arthur winced when he saw the red marks around his wrists. It was clear that Merlin had been trying to free himself, or just working on the ropes subconsciously in his distress. Arthur sighed even as he gently nudged Merlin awake.

"It's time to go home," he said gently, not being entirely sure how he should be treating his servant. It was almost as if Merlin was some sort of skittish foal that Arthur needed to calm down so he didn't bolt. If it had been any other occasion, Merlin would have been glaring at him for treating him like he was weak. But this time, Merlin just allowed himself to be helped to his feet and stood there somewhat helplessly. There wasn't a lot he could do with his hands bound and Arthur found that he had to turn away. Merlin was normally racing around the camp getting things sorted in the morning, snapping at Arthur for being lazy, not just standing there like a ghost.

Arthur collected the few pieces of bedding and equipment they had between them, once again being reminded of just how many days it had been since he was last in his own bed. Just as he was fiddling with the straps, Percival gave a call of alarm and Arthur turned just in time to see Merlin running towards him. Arthur groaned. There was the deadly look back on his face and he knew that only cursed Merlin would be able to run like that without falling over. At the last moment, he stepped aside, grabbing Merlin's shoulder to stop him from running smack into the horse and held him at arm's length.

He wasn't sure it was even worth talking to Merlin since the man only succeeded in hurting him every time he opened his mouth when he was under the influence of the spell. Arthur simply held him back with ease and glanced towards Leon.

"Do you have a spare length of rope?" He asked quietly and Merlin seemed to realise what he was going to do.

"You are _not_ going to tie me to the back of the horse like an animal, Arthur Pendragon," he spat, fighting against Arthur's hold.

"Then what do you suggest that I do, for I'm pretty sure that you are going to try and kill me by pushing me off my horse or something if I let you ride, and I don't trust you with any of the knights to have you ride with them either."

"No wonder they want you dead if this is how you treat people! You're a hypocrite and a liar, just like your father. You deserve to die! And I'm going to be the one to mmp…." Merlin's voice trailed off from where Gwaine had come up behind him and simply put his hand over Merlin's mouth. With both knights holding onto him in one way or another, there wasn't a lot Merlin could do and he eventually fell still, glaring at Arthur. Leon approached with the rope and slipped it through the bindings already around Merlin's wrists, unable to look him in the eye as he did so.

"I'm sorry," the knight murmured and Merlin simply scoffed. He somehow managed to twist his head away from Gwaine's hand, but judging by the look on the man's face, Arthur had a feeling that Merlin had just bitten him.

"No, you're not. You're not sorry for anything you have to do in Arthur's name because you think everything about him is so glorious!"

"Enough, Merlin." Arthur snapped. It was one thing for him to insult his king, Arthur was the one he was enchanted to kill, after all. But he couldn't just stand there and listen to him insult and hurt the men that he knew he normally considered as friends. He held out his hand and took the end of the rope, swinging himself up into the saddle as he did so and making sure that Merlin had some slack so he wasn't literally dragging him along. It did feel wrong treating him like this and Arthur could only imagine what sort of message it would send out. Hopefully he would just be able to pass it off as Merlin being his usual annoying self and overstepping the line or something along those lines. Everyone seemed to know how their relationship worked, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch of the imagination.

"Be careful, Sire," Leon cautioned as he moved past Arthur to mount his own horse. "He might still try and pull you off."

Arthur had to admit that was a good point. If the fall didn't kill him, he would be defenceless enough for Merlin to do some damage before the others realised what was going on. He changed his grip on the rope so that he could bind it to the saddle rather than holding onto it himself and Leon nodded approvingly. Arthur gave the signal and the group slowly began to move back to Camelot, the mood far more sombre than when they had set out.

No one spoke and Arthur felt like it was the longest ride of his life. It shouldn't have taken them more than an hour to get back if everyone was riding, but with Merlin walking, they had to keep stopping. Eventually, Percival had the idea of tying the spare horse to Arthur's and then lashing the servant's hands to the reins. At least that way, not only could they pick up the pace but it wasn't quite so obvious heading back into Camelot that Merlin was bound. After they had done so – Arthur's heart sinking when he saw that Merlin still looked murderous despite it having been hours since the curse had taken over his mind – they managed to make quicker progress.

Arthur found his mind wondering as they moved. Was Merlin still under the grip of the curse because he hadn't actually made an attempt on Arthur's life? Would they be able to get "their" Merlin back if they let him go for the king? Arthur was convinced that there was nothing Merlin could do to actually hurt him, not looking at him slumped over in his saddle and glaring at anyone who rode too close. But despite the knights being Merlin's friends, Arthur knew they still took their duty seriously, even Gwaine. Until they didn't have a choice, they wouldn't knowingly endanger their king just to stop Merlin scowling at them. In a way, Arthur didn't know which he preferred – the devastated Merlin or the murderous one. Neither were anything like the man who was normally at his side and had been for years.

Finally, however, Camelot came into view and Arthur knew he was not the only one who breathed a sigh of relief at seeing it. They sped up just a little bit more, handing over the horses to the stable boys as they untied Merlin from the saddle. Arthur coiled the rope around his hand to keep Merlin close and he could feel that the knights were pressed in around them. Not only would it keep Arthur safe, but it would again stop anyone in the corridors from seeing that one of their own was tied up. Arthur swiftly led the way towards Gaius' chamber, letting Elyan knock. They waited until the old man had bid them to enter – Arthur didn't want to shock him any more than necessary. When he did so and Percival pushed open the door, Arthur stepped forward, letting the tension go from the rope. He was still holding the end but Merlin once again had some slack as he was tugged into the room. Gaius had his back to the door but he turned as they entered. Arthur didn't think he had seen anyone pale so fast.

"Wha-?" he only seemed capable of gasping as he stared at the rope around his ward's hands.

"Magic," Arthur muttered, handing the rope over to Percival as he went to sit down. The largest of the knights also sat himself down and Arthur had to note with a smile that he made sure there was a chair close enough that Merlin could get to if he wanted. The servant totally ignored the gesture, however, looking as if he was about to fold his arms across his chest and then realised that he couldn't. So instead, he simply turned his back on them, shoulders rigid with tension. Arthur turned back to Gaius and felt his eyebrows lift in astonishment. Gaius looked nothing short of terrified, yet they hadn't even told him what had happened.

"Magic, Sire? Are you sure... I mean, no doubt he had a reason…"

"For wanting to kill me? Not to mention we heard the spell! I… Gaius? Are you alright? Maybe you should sit down?" Arthur gestured to Leon, who helped the old man sit down as they all watched on in concern, even Merlin turned slightly although he just rolled his eyes, scoffed and turned back again.

"I think…" Gaius began, somewhat faintly. "That you need to start at the beginning."

Despite being a king, Gaius was one of the few people left in Camelot that could still tell Arthur what to do. Knowing that he didn't really have a choice, the king began talking, explaining what had happened in the forest and how they had found Merlin just in time for him to pass out after Morgana's curse and how she had just left them there. It was only when Merlin had come round in the forest did they realise that they were too late to have stopped it from taking hold and her reasoning for letting them walk out of the hut alive became obvious the first time that Merlin had gone for his king. When Arthur explained how Merlin was behaving and the things he had said, the man in question simply chuckled darkly again, shooting Arthur a look so full of loathing that Arthur faltered for a moment.

"So let me get this straight. He's tried to stab you and strangle you, possibly more than once if you hadn't stopped him?" Arthur nodded glumly, but to his astonishment, Gaius sagged back, looking almost relieved. His eyes were fixed on Merlin, who slowly turned around as if he was aware of the stare. His hatred was softening and Arthur was hoping that he was beginning to regain control for a while. This hating Merlin was beginning to give him a headache.

"Percival, do you think you can escort Merlin to his room please? Untie him, the lock on the door should be enough to hold him for now." Arthur nodded that Percival should do as Gaius said, trying not to think about what the physician might mean by "for now." They all watched in silence as Merlin was bundled up the stairs, Elyan jumping up to help when Merlin made one last attempt to get to Arthur. It was only when the lock on the door clicked shut and they knew Merlin was safe – even from himself – for a while did Arthur dare speak again.

"Why did you look relieved?"

"Hmm?"

"You looked as if you feared something much worse when I told you how he had tried to kill me." Gaius looked at him steadily, but Arthur was convinced that he could see the pulse jump in the old man's throat. Whatever expression had flickered across his face a few moments ago, Gaius had clearly not been expecting anyone to have seen it. He sighed and eventually glanced wistfully towards Merlin's door.

"He has been living and studying under me for many years now, Arthur. Merlin knows more about the human body than you realise, and I'm sure if he was thinking straight, he would be able to find a great many number of other ways to end your life. The fact that he has just gone for physical approaches means that he isn't thinking straight."

Arthur frowned. Gaius' words weren't exactly reassuring, but then again Arthur hadn't expected them to be. The physician was always truthful with him, he always had been. But while what he was saying made sense – Arthur didn't want to consider how many different ways there were to poison someone just in this room alone – the king was sure the old man was still hiding something. Gaius was lying, and Arthur had a feeling he knew why.

"Leave us," he ordered the rest of the knights. He knew that they would protest, but Arthur eventually managed to get them out of the room and the door closed until it was just him and Gaius. Arthur hadn't even noticed that he had stood up until he was slowly turning to face the physician.

"What is it, Arthur?" The king should have known. Ever since he was a little boy, Gaius had been able to tell when something was on his mind. That was why Arthur knew he had to say something, that he couldn't just keep it to himself.

"When we were alone in the forest and he was coming for me… He got me on the ground, Gaius…"

"Well, he…"

"There is no way Merlin would have normally been able to get me down in that manner. I thought…" Arthur took a deep breath, not knowing how Gaius was going to handle this. "I thought his eyes turned gold for a moment."

"You mean to say…"

"I think he was using magic, Gaius. How else would he have done that? It doesn't make any sense! I told myself it was just a trick of the light, that I was somehow seeing things, but it's been playing through my mind and I don't think it was, was it? He somehow used magic against me."

"Arthur, I need you to sit down." Just as he didn't realise he had stood up, Arthur hadn't noticed that he had started to pace, one hand combing through his hair in frustration as he turned towards Merlin's door, wondering if it was Merlin in there right now or the cold hearted killer.

"He used magic, didn't he? Merlin used magic?"

"Arthur, sit." There was a hand on his shoulder and force being put behind it as Arthur was pushed down onto a stool. He looked up helpless at Gaius to see the old man standing over him, a sympathetic yet stern expression on his face. It was clear that he wasn't letting Arthur leave this room until he knew the king wasn't about to do something else.

"It's possible that he did."

"Possible? Gaius, I saw him!"

"You aren't understanding me, Arthur. We don't know what that curse did to him. I believe that Morgana somehow equipped him with the tools that he needed in order to complete his task. She would have known that he didn't stand a chance against you, especially not if she knew that you would get there in time to overhear her."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that he forced you to the ground because Morgana gave him the ability to. I'm saying that his eyes glowed because it was the spell increasing his strength in order to help him accomplish the thought that was consuming his mind. From how you described the spell and the wording she used, I don't think he is capable of any other thought when it takes over."

"What do we do?" Arthur whispered, feeling slightly helpless and yet totally out of his depth. Gaius' words had calmed him though. It was a lot easier to think of Merlin channelling Morgana's magic than the other solution that had been running through Arthur's head. After all, it was Merlin they were talking about. How could he possibly have magic of his own and have spent the last few years almost constantly in Arthur's presence? Gaius gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"We wait for him to calm down again, then I need to talk to him, examine him if I can. I need to find out more about this spell to know how she is controlling him before we can think about breaking it."

"What do I do?" Arthur muttered, hating the way that everything was going to depend on Gaius. It was Arthur Merlin was trying to kill, the cursed man was _his_ servant. Arthur didn't just want to sit on the side lines. Luckily, Gaius seemed to read that in his expression and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I can tell that you have had very little sleep for the last few nights. Go and get some rest while he is locked up, Arthur. I'm going to need you to hold him down if he won't let me examine him, and I would rather that neither of you were hurt because you are half asleep. Go on with you, I'll have someone fetch you if there is any change."

Arthur knew he was being dismissed. But despite being the King of Camelot, he still found that he was climbing to his feet and heading towards the door, doing exactly what Gaius was telling him to.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you so much once again. Hope you like this next part._

* * *

Merlin didn't truly notice that he had been locked in his room for quite a while. All that he was aware of was the burning hate coursing through his veins and the desire to make sure that the King of Camelot never saw another dawn. But there was a part of him still "Merlin" awake in there, screaming and fighting against the hatred and forcing himself to fight the urge to just use his magic to end Arthur's life from a distance.

Luckily, the magic seemed to be listening to him.

Merlin could only assume it was because the whole point, the whole reason why he had his magic was so that he could protect Arthur. It literally went against everything his magic stood for if it was used to harm the king and that was somehow giving him a line of defence and stopping the curse from completely overtaking his mind. But even with a small part of him awake and fighting, the curse was too strong and it seemed that he was unable to resist going for Arthur's throat every time he got the chance.

But eventually, the need to kill Arthur began to ebb away again. The king had been right – Merlin had calmed down quicker before because he got the chance to try and act upon that anger. Using it up made it easier for him to fight back, but this time, he had been stopped, allowing the hatred to bubble away under the surface. But Merlin finally came back to himself to find that he was leaning against the door, hand on the handle as he had clearly grappled with himself to stop himself using magic to leave. He backed away from the door and gave a shaky exhale, moving back to sit on his bed.

Once he was sure that he wouldn't fall down, Merlin ran a hand through his hair, thinking hard. It would have been a lot easier if his head wasn't pounding, clearly reminding him that the curse was ready to rise up at any second and he had no idea how long he could hold it back for. Managing to get the nausea under control, Merlin once again moved back to his door. Through listening hard, he was certain that the knights and – more importantly – Arthur had left and it was just Gaius pottering around his chambers. Merlin had a small smile on his face even as his hand stretched towards the door. No doubt his guardian didn't want to leave him in case Merlin got it into his head to kill someone. Although it was nice to feel cared for, the thought also gave Merlin some cause for alarm. Would he stop himself from turning on others if he couldn't get to Arthur?

Frowning, Merlin let his eyes glow gold and the lock on the door clicked, signalling his release. Pulling it open gently, Merlin checked that it was indeed just Gaius in the room below before stepping forward. To his surprise, he found that his legs were shaking and he was having trouble walking forward. It seemed that the anger had been lending him strength and now that had gone, Merlin was struggling. Gaius turned just as he finally made it down the stairs and Merlin didn't think the old man had ever moved so fast as he crossed the room and helped settle Merlin onto a stool before he fell over. Gaius' hand came to rest on his forehead and Merlin knew it would only be seconds before the physician was trying to peer into his eyes.

"I'm fine, Gaius," he murmured, pushing his hand away. Gaius took a seat opposite but the look that he subjected Merlin too had the warlock squirming.

"I don't think you can really say that considering you've spent the last day and a bit trying to kill your destiny, can you? Arthur told me what happened, Merlin. He told me that you've been trying to kill him."

Merlin dropped his eyes. It sounded so much worse when Gaius said it out loud like that and he could feel the shame beginning to eat away at him.

"He also told me how you used magic to do it."

Merlin felt his mouth drop open and he stared at Gaius in horror. He knew that his memory was cloudy of the last few days; he never truly remembered what happened whenever the anger took over. But the fact that he had tried to use magic against Arthur… Maybe that was good? Maybe it would mean the king would finally give in and have him executed? It wasn't that Merlin wanted to die, it was that it was taking all of his strength to even keep the curse at bay for a few moments to explain what was going on. He couldn't be allowed to hurt Arthur.

"And I told him it was Morgana."

"What?" Merlin's mind was still trying to process that Arthur had seen him use magic to truly take in what Gaius had just said. After a few moments, his brain caught up with him and he stared at his mentor, wondering how on earth he had explained it away. Arthur was so unpredictable when it came to magic, especially since his father's death. Merlin wasn't sure whether he would even take the chance or not.

"All you did was force him to the floor with it, you seem to be holding it back somehow. So I told him that Morgana had given you the tools to accomplish your task. Your eyes glowed because her magic was channelling a strength into you that you didn't otherwise possess in order to get Arthur down."

"And he bought that?" Gaius looked long and steadily at Merlin, clearly not liking the tone of his voice.

"He cares for you, Merlin, whether he will say it or not. Yes, he bought it because not would mean thinking thoughts that he isn't ready to think. Especially not with you trying to kill him every few moments."

Merlin could only stare, not being sure how to react. He knew that it wouldn't have been that long ago where Arthur himself would have thrown Merlin in the cells for the merest hint that there was something magical going on with him. Now they knew he was cursed and that magic was somehow effecting him, and all the king had done was bring him home. If it had been any other time, Merlin would have found himself wondering whether it was time he had a long talk with his master.

But right now, he had to think about how to keep said master alive.

"What do I do, Gaius?" Merlin implored, a begging note to his voice as he stared at his mentor. Gaius always had the answers and now more than ever Merlin needed him. He was used to having to save Arthur from magical threats. What he wasn't used to, however, was that threat to be coming from him. To his delight, Gaius heaved a huge volume up on the table and looked at Merlin pointedly.

"I think I know what is causing this. I don't know if I can remove it, not without killing you. But I can buy you some time."

"How long?"

"Long enough for you to go and talk to Arthur and tell him that you can't come to work over the next few days."

"You don't know how to cure this, do you?"

"Not yet," Gaius grimaced at the helplessness in Merlin's voice, but before the warlock could say anything else, he put a small dish on the table. In it was resting a poultice and Merlin stared at it suspiciously.

"What's that?"

"I believe you have something that is effectively alive in your neck. I'm just going by what Arthur has been able to tell me about the curse, I'll know more when I have the chance to examine you properly. But for now, this should paralyse it for a while."

Merlin knew that he wasn't being given a choice and obediently pulled off his scarf, pulling a face as Gaius moved behind him and started dabbing the poultice over his neck. It didn't exactly feel unpleasant, it just felt strange.

But after a moment, Merlin realised that the feeling was spreading further than just his neck. He could feel a rush of relief spreading through his body and his headache almost instantly cleared up. For the first time in days, he felt like he could think clearly and he was moving for the door almost before Gaius had finished stepping back. The old man's voice called him back and Merlin turned.

"It's only paralysed it, my boy. I have no idea how long it is going to last. If you feel like you are losing control again, get out of there. This is the one time you can run out on Arthur and he will understand."

Merlin nodded, reaching the door even as he did so. He would stay on his guard as best as he could, but right now he needed to go and see the king. He had to find out precisely what he had done and how much damage had already been caused.

MMM

Arthur was staring out of the window, his foot propped up on the sill, his elbow balancing off his knee and his chin cupped in his hand as he thought. He knew that in the past Gaius had lied to him about certain things that were going on, especially when it involved magic and his father. But Arthur had never really thought too deeply about it – he had never needed to as the outcome had always been positive.

But now, however, he was unsure.

The physician's explanation about the way Merlin's eyes had glowed made perfect sense. Merlin was cursed, there was no denying that. So why shouldn't Morgana's magic be influencing him even now that he was away from her? But the only thing niggling away at the back of the king's mind is that he knew how much Gaius cared for his ward. Would he lie to and subsequently risk Arthur's life in order to protect Merlin? Arthur knew the lying part – he had been lying for years, why would now be any different? But would he chose Merlin – a servant even if like a son to Gaius – over Arthur – the King of Camelot. There would be war if Arthur was suddenly killed, he had no successor, for something was holding him back as naming Aggravaine heir to the throne should something happen to him.

Would Gaius risk it?

The worst thing of all was that Arthur found that he had absolutely no idea what the answer was. He wanted to say no, that the kingdom had to come first. But just because his father had always put the kingdom first above his son didn't mean that every father did. And if there was one way to explain the relationship between Merlin and Gaius, it was that of father and son.

Arthur sighed, moving away from the window as he realised that it was getting dark. He should have been getting some rest, but every time he shut his eyes, Merlin swam before his vision. Not the carefree, happy Merlin who always had words of advice along with a cheeky retort. But the one glaring at him in hatred as he lifted a knife towards Arthur. Or worse than that, the Merlin with glowing eyes and the feeling of helplessness Arthur had felt as he had been forced to the ground.

It was easier to stay awake than face that and Arthur forced himself to move back to his desk. He had reports that needed dealing with and he was sure the monotonous signing of his name would give him time to think while stop him from being plagued by thoughts that he didn't want running through his head. But Arthur had just sat down and pulled the first stack towards him when there came a knock on the door.

The king bid whoever it was to enter, only to start in surprise when his own servant came through the door. It was a sure sign that something was wrong when Merlin knocked on the door, for Arthur was sure that it was one of their longest running arguments to date. But this time, he had no playful reprimand on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he just found himself watching the servant closely, his hand automatically drifting to the dagger strapped to his hip just in case. He never thought the day would come when he would be wary of his own friend in this manner.

"Merlin?" There was a cautious and questioning tone to Arthur's voice, but his fears were unfounded as Merlin weakly smiled at him and sat down in the chair opposite, without being asked. Again, that was usually an action that had Arthur ready to say something, but then he truly looked at the young man and realised just how drawn and weary Merlin seemed.

"You're not about to kill me, are you?" He was aiming for something light-hearted to break the unusual tension between them, but even to himself Arthur knew that his voice was falling flat. He sighed, shaking his head and taking a second to rub his hand over his eyes. When he looked up, Merlin was watching him closely.

"I came to apologise."

"Merlin, you don't…"

"Not just about what I tried to do. Multiple times. I know that wasn't me and I know that you know it as well. But about what I said. You know, afterwards…"

Arthur didn't think he had ever heard Merlin stumble so much over a sentence, but the tension seemed to increase ten-fold as soon as the words were out. Arthur instantly knew what Merlin was referring to. The fact that he had seen taking his own life as a way of allowing Arthur to keep his was not something that was going to be leaving Arthur's mind any time soon. The king scowled.

"If you ever ask me to do anything like that again, I swear to god, Merlin, I'll…"

"Kill me?" Merlin – just like Arthur – attempted to make light of the situation, but –just like Arthur – failed. The king simply glared.

"Lock you up to make sure that you can never attempt it," he said softly, his voice low and angry. "How dare you think that you have the right to decide to end your own life just because you think it will save mine?

Merlin's eyes dropped and he opened his mouth to say something, but Arthur wasn't done yet.

"How did you know it would even work? Gaius told me what had happened, Merlin, how Morgana was giving you the power to accomplish your task. Do you think she would have just let you kill yourself? Do you think I would have?"

When he started yelling, Arthur didn't know, nor was he aware that he had stood up until he realised that he was towering over Merlin. Or more specifically, the fact that Merlin seemed to be cowering under him. Merlin had never looked that defeated before and Arthur sighed, suddenly realising just how tired he was feeling as he sunk down into his chair. He opened his mouth to apologise.

"Don't," Merlin began, finally meeting Arthur's eye for the first time since he came into the room. "Don't apologise for losing your temper with me. You've done it enough times over the years and never apologised before. I shouldn't have said what I said, and I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for getting us into this mess in the first place. Gaius thinks there is something controlling me and that he has managed to paralyse it for now, although he doesn't know how long for.

"You've got an idea, haven't you?" Arthur said softly. He knew the look on Merlin's face, knew that he possibly wasn't about to like what came out of his mouth as Merlin gave half a shrug.

"I need you to lock me in the cells."

"What? I thought you just said that you were under control…"

"Maybe I am now, but when it starts to come back, I need you to make sure I can't hurt anyone, Arthur. I could, you know I could, especially if Morgana has given me the power to. Don't let anyone else be hurt because of me."

"Why the cells though?"

"Only you and the guards have the keys and maybe if you could not have anyone on duty tonight so you are the only one who can let me out again..?"

"Merlin, what aren't you telling me?" Arthur was sitting forward now, staring at his servant intently. Merlin sighed, meeting his gaze before dropping it hastily.

"Arthur, someone knew where we were in the forest. The bandits were in contact with Morgana, they knew she wanted us alive. For her and them to be there… someone must have…"

"Told them our route," Arthur finished softly and Merlin nodded. The king sat back in his chair, thinking hard. It could have only been someone in Camelot. There was a look on Merlin's face that suggestion he knew who it was, but that Arthur would have to truly force him to be able to get him to say. If Merlin was worried they would release him from wherever they had deemed safe and therefore clear his path to Arthur, it meant that it was someone high up in the court, someone with power and influence. Arthur sighed, rubbing his forehead again.

He just had to deal with one problem at a time and see where they were from here. He stood up and Merlin watched him intently.

"Guards!" Arthur called, hearing them jump to attention and for the doors to begin to open. He didn't want to admit to trusting Merlin, but he couldn't think of a better plan right now. He grimaced sympathetically.

"Escort my servant to the cells."


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you so much, once again!_

* * *

Merlin sighed as he sat on the small bench in the cell, knowing that in just a few hours, it would be serving as his bed as well. He knew that Arthur had made sure he had chosen the most comfortable of the cells, and one that was near the entrance as well so a fresh flow of air constantly wafted in rather than how suffocating those further down could feel. But still, a cell was a cell. Yet Merlin knew that he couldn't complain, not when he had been the one to suggest this. He knew that Arthur didn't like the idea. Despite using the cells as a threat and even a punishment more than once, Merlin could see the reluctance in the king's eyes as he had been escorted away.

But the warlock didn't know what else to do.

He had to find some way of keeping himself away from Arthur while Gaius tried to figure out what was going on. He knew that his mentor wouldn't let him down, he would find out a way of making the thing in his neck be destroyed for good. But until then, Merlin knew that he couldn't be trusted. If he was honest, it wasn't only for Arthur's benefit that he had insisted on being locked up. He was scared that should he have to fight the curse again, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from giving into the dread clouding his mind. He had truly believed that the only way to keep Arthur safe had been for him to take his own life. It had taken a while before that cloud had lifted from his mind, and Merlin had to wonder whether it was something else that Morgana had planted in his head.

If Arthur wasn't killed, he would be.

If she couldn't have both, she was going to make sure she enacted her revenge on the one person she held responsible for her previous downfalls. It seemed like the sort of thing that she would do and Merlin told himself that was where the thought had come from. It was easier than believing he truly would have thought along those lines. He knew that he was the danger to Arthur right now, but he also knew the king wouldn't last two days if Merlin actually died.

While he had something to fight for, then that was what Merlin was going to make sure he did. By being locked in here, he didn't have access to anything that he could use against himself. He wasn't just keeping Arthur safe by insisting that he was locked up, he was trying to keep himself alive as well.

Merlin sighed, leaning back on the wall and shivering slightly in the damp air. If he was honest, he was sure this wasn't one of his better ideas. Why didn't he think of somewhere that was warm and sunny, somewhere where he could actually feel a slither of hope rather than the crushing sensation of impending doom? He knew that he had a flare for being dramatic, he always did when Arthur's safety was on the line. But never in all of their years together did he think that the threat he would be protecting the king from would be himself.

After just a few moments, he stood up and began pacing the cell. The other problem with making sure there were no guards was that Merlin simply had nothing to do. He wanted to use magic, wanting the warm and comforting sensation of his power filling him up, but he knew it was too much of a risk. His magic was a liability while the curse was enacted, he couldn't trust what it would do. He was certain that it wouldn't hurt Arthur. The dragon had always said that it had been created in order to protect the king. Back in the forest, the magic hadn't tried to kill Arthur, it had just got him into a position where Merlin would be able to strike a blow. He was sure the same thing would happen here – it would give him access to Arthur (opening the cell, for one thing) – but it wouldn't actually kill him.

Still, opening the cell was something Merlin didn't want to happen, and he forced the power down. Sitting back down with a sigh, the servant realised that he wasn't used to not having anything to do and he sighed.

"Merlin?"

The voice made him jump and Merlin looked up in surprise.

"Gwen? What are you doing here?"

"Gaius told me what happened," Gwen moved forward as she spoke and even in the dim light of the cells, Merlin could see the concern shining out of her eyes. "I thought you might want some company."

"You shouldn't be here, Gwen," Merlin murmured, but there was no heat to his voice and he was moving towards the bars even as he spoke. He knew there was no real reason why Gwen couldn't be here. She couldn't let him out and Merlin knew that he would be a fool to turn away a friend. He was convinced that none of the knights would be venturing down here even if they should find out where he was. They had already seen him try and kill Arthur once; no doubt they didn't want to see him in this sort of situation either.

"It's better than being up there; Arthur is out of his mind with worry."

"He is?" Merlin let a teasing note infiltrate his voice as Gwen swept her skirts around her and sat on the other side of the door. She had a small parcel in her lap and she drew back the fabric to reveal some bread and cheese, passing some through the bars to Merlin.

"You know who is, or he wouldn't have listened to your foolish plan. Honestly, Merlin, did you think locking yourself up would solve anything?"

Merlin shrugged sheepishly even as he bit into the food, suddenly realising that he was starving.

"It was better than letting myself get close enough to kill him."

"You won't kill him."

"Gwen, I have some strange snake thing in the back of my neck that is just waiting to wake up. It's like I can't think of anything other than killing him when it takes hold. I have no idea who I am or where I might be. The only thing I can think of how is how to end Arthur's life." Merlin saw Gwen shudder slightly and he knew that it was nothing to do with the coolness of the cells. He was the one who to make her react like that. He wasn't sure why he was telling her these things; he certainly didn't mean to be scaring her. He just wanted someone to talk to; someone to vent his frustrations out on and he knew that Gwen wouldn't judge him. To his surprise, she smiled gently and put her hand through the bars, squeezing his.

"You won't kill him because I know you, Merlin. I know you would rather die than let yourself hurt Arthur. You will find a way to beat this, you always do. You've always looked after him through it all, I refuse to believe that you are going to give into some curse and kill him now, after all of these years."

Merlin found that he couldn't answer and that there was a lump in his throat as he listened to Gwen's words. He knew that she always saw the good in people, it was probably why she had even given Arthur a chance at the beginning. But to hear her put it so simply that she believed that he would overcome this touched him more than he could say. Although he didn't think it was possible, he found that his resolve was hardening even more. He would not let this curse beat him.

Merlin didn't realise that he suddenly was sitting up a little straighter as determination flooded him. Gwen gave his hand another squeeze and drew it back through the bars. She began to speak again as she continued eating, only this time it was nothing to do with what was happening to him. She filled him in all of the gossip and antics of the serving staff, almost as if she was forgetting they were sitting in the dungeons on opposite sides of a cell door. Merlin found himself smiling and beginning to relax. They had done this for years, although not as much since Morgana had gone. Whenever their duties put them in the same place, the two friends could be found with their heads bent together, whispering about whoever else was in the room at the same time.

This sense of normality, the feeling that everything was going to be okay, lifted a great weight from Merlin and he soon found that he was joining in the conversation eagerly. It never slipped his mind where he was or why he was here, but it was nice to be allowed a few moments to think of something else instead.

MMM

Arthur rubbed a hand wearily over his eyes and adjusted his stance to stop his leg going to sleep. He could still hear Merlin and Gwen chatting happily away to one another and part of him was desperate to go down and join them. But he knew that would instantly put the tension back into place and Merlin would scurry to the back of the cell as if them even being in the same room was suddenly going to make Arthur drop dead. Merlin was _laughing_ at that moment in time and Arthur knew that he couldn't take that away from his servant. He had no idea how they were going to fix this, but he did know that if Gwen was making Merlin laugh, then there was no way that Arthur was going to interrupt.

He didn't truly know what he was doing at the top of the stairs. He had gone back to Gaius to inform the physician of Merlin's decision even before the servant had vanished down the corridor. Gaius had looked sad, but almost as if he had expected Merlin to do something along those lines. The man had told Arthur all that they had discovered so far and the king found that he felt marginally better at knowing that Gaius had already identified what the creature was. Arthur knew that was the first step to being able to defeat it and for the first time since they had found Merlin, it felt a spark of hope.

He had left when Gwen arrived, not wanting to face her. He never knew how she was going to react to things like this and so had made his excuses. But before he even made it back to his chambers, his mind was beginning to churn over what Merlin had said about someone knowing their route. Someone in Camelot, one of the few people that Arthur trusted, had betrayed him. He knew for sure that it wasn't any of his knights. In fact, he would stake his life on it. He knew that they were as loyal to Merlin as they were to him and even if they had been betraying Camelot, they would have never allowed it to be Merlin the one caught in the middle of it all.

He also knew that it wasn't Merlin himself, Gaius or Gwen. They too cared about other members of that group too much to risk it, even if they did have something against the royalty of Camelot. Arthur knew that some of the men on the council knew their route, but it was only a select few. The idea that one of them – hand-picked by Arthur even while his father had been alive – had betrayed them and so were responsible for his servant now wanting to kill him made Arthur feel sick. But as unpleasant as it was, he knew it had to be one of them.

No one else knew.

His mind racing, Arthur had paced his room five times before his thoughts began to order themselves and he realised what Merlin had been implying. It was clear the warlock knew someone had betrayed them, and knowing that Merlin saw more than Arthur ever gave him credit for, the king had to wonder whether his friend knew who it was. If Merlin knew who it was, could it be that the traitor knew that Merlin knew? Was the servant asking Arthur to make sure that no one had access to the possessed man because he was afraid the person might unlock the cell door and therefore help Merlin in his task?

Was whoever betraying them not just leaking secrets, but actually prepared to see Arthur killed?

The thought sent shivers down his spine and Arthur was moving before he knew what he was doing, snatching up his sword and striding for the dungeons. He was sure that word would have got around by now that he had locked his servant up. The rumours certainly flew when he had threatened it, for almost within an hour he had Gwaine glaring daggers at him. If word had spread and the traitor knew where Merlin was, he might try and come down. He wouldn't know the guards had been dismissed, he might think he would be able to talk them into letting the prisoner go.

And when he tried it, Arthur would be right there, waiting to unmask him.

But so far, nothing had happened apart from Arthur beginning to almost feel jealous of the easy nature between Merlin and Gwen. He knew that Merlin didn't hold back when they were together despite Arthur being his king and his master, but it brought a smile to his face to hear Gwen so open and express. He had never noticed before how easy it was for Merlin to make her laugh.

Just as Arthur was thinking that he had been wrong in waiting here, he could hear the sound of footsteps heading their way. He silently tensed, his hand drifting to his sword as he braced himself. The steps came ever closer and at the last second, Arthur stepped out of the shadows, blocking the way down to the dungeons by standing at the top of the stairs.

"Aggravaine?"

Arthur could only blink in shock. That was not who he had been expecting. Surely his own uncle wouldn't be the one betraying him? How could it be when betraying Arthur meant betraying his mother? But yet, the man was standing right in front of him, and if Arthur wasn't mistaken, he looked stunned to see his king blocking the way and his eyes seemed to flicker down towards the cells momentarily before returning to Arthur's face.

"There you are, My Lord. I have to admit, I am worried that you would stay up here rather than go down…"

"What do you mean? What are you doing here, uncle?"

"I heard from Gaius what happened. I heard the boy was here and I know how fond you are of him. I just assumed that you would be keeping him company, but I can hear the lovely Guinevere is doing that in your stead."

Arthur found that he was gritting his teeth. Normally, he liked it when people praised Gwen. Not only because she deserved it, but it was almost a sign of acceptance in regards to their relationship. Only this time, there was something about his uncle's words that made Arthur's skin crawl. His tone was smooth, almost too smooth and Arthur wildly found himself wondering for the first time whether the man had been completely honest with him about why he had come back into Arthur's life.

"Arthur?"

"I'm fine." The king sheathed his sword and strode away from the dungeons towards the well-lit corridors. "What was it you needed to see me about?"

"The grain tax reports have come through, My Lord, and there are a few issues that I believe should be addressed. I was after your opinion, Sire."

Arthur was certain that he made some noise of agreement under his breath even as he led the man away from Merlin. He couldn't stop his heart from beating hard though. Now that the thought had lodged itself in his head, he tried to let his mind drift over all the times that Aggravaine had been privy to private information since he had arrived back in Camelot, and the amount of times that had gone wrong. He didn't know why his uncle would betray him, not considering they were family after all. Arthur wanted to dismiss the idea, to claim that he was being foolish, but he couldn't.

It was stuck in his head and he found that he was thinking deeply into everything the man had told him lately. Even now, Aggravaine was talking away, claiming how fortunate it was that they had found Merlin and managed to get him home without anyone losing their lives in the process and that it was good Arthur had seen fit to lock him up as he was now a traitor to the crown, although not through his fault, of course…

It was all words that made sense to Arthur, words that he had believed over the last year or so. What was it about them now that put him so on edge?

At the end of the day, he knew it was Merlin. For him not to come out and say who he suspected straight away, Arthur knew it was because he believed it to be someone that Arthur cared about and he was trying to protect his king. Even cursed to kill him, Merlin still couldn't bring himself to deliberately hurt Arthur, even if it meant keeping quiet about who a traitor might be. It meant that Merlin had no proof and was not prepared to get it wrong at the expense of their friendship.

But if there was one thing that Arthur had come to realise over the years, it was that his servant had a knack of being right about the important things.


	7. Chapter 7

_Apologies for the little bit of hit and miss at the moment - it's been a crazy week and haven't been well, so haven't got as much done as I needed too - work wise as well as writing. Hoping to be catching up now._

_Thank you again for the lovely reviews, I really appreciate each and every one of them._

* * *

The night was drawing on and darkness had fallen when Merlin felt the curse stirring in his veins again. Gwen had made the afternoon pleasant, made him forget about where he was and what was going on for a few hours by taking his mind off things. It would have been nice if Arthur had come down and told him that the traitor had been unmasked and everything was going to be alright, but Merlin knew things never went that smoothly. He had partly hoped Aggravaine would have entered the dungeon in order to unlock the cell door, believing that he was helping Merlin complete Morgana's task. Merlin's plan had been that Arthur would catch his uncle in the act and would therefore know that he was being betrayed.

Unfortunately, neither man appeared and with the curse also lying dormant, Merlin was left in a cell for hours with not a lot to do, despite having done nothing wrong.

Then again, Merlin had to wonder whether it was a good thing he had been out of sight. The consequences didn't bare thinking about if the curse had returned when he was alone with Arthur and had taken the king unaware. He knew that it wasn't only Arthur who would have been killed, but himself as well. There were too many guards, too many people around for him to make an attempt on Arthur's life and would no doubt find himself thrown in the cells for real before he even had the chance to explain.

After Gwen had gone and silence had fallen on the cell, Merlin had tried to distract himself by practising what little magic he could while keeping a close eye on whether anyone was about to come down the stairs or not. The results were somewhat unpredictable and he swiftly realised that the curse was messing with his own power. It was like it was trying to buck and fight against the curse, so rather than simply levitating the water jug, it had caused it to explode. Thankfully, Merlin had managed to piece it back together again but that had put a stop to his experimentations and he had resigned himself to simply sit there with nothing to do.

But as the sun began to set, Merlin found his hope was once again going with it. He could feel the curse clawing at him and he knew that he wouldn't be able to fight it off this time. It had gone too long with being denied a chance to kill Arthur and this time, it was not going to stop until Merlin had at least tried to kill his king. He tried to secure the cell against himself as much as he could, but with his magic so unpredictable, he didn't know what he should risk. The way his luck was going, he was more likely to blow the door off its hinges rather than reinforce it and he knew that would lead to questions that he didn't want asked.

He managed to hold it off for a good few hours if the positioning of the moon was anything to go by, the silvery light dancing in strips across the cell floor and allowing the warlock to let his mind focus on the rays of light rather than the sensation of slowly being sucked under. Distraction seemed to buy him some time, but he knew that he was fighting a losing battle. There was nothing he could truly do to stop the curse from overtaking him, and he could feel the exact second that it did so.

The air around him suddenly felt cold and all Merlin was capable of feeling was a hatred so deep that he just wanted to destroy the world. Some part of him was still "Merlin", still knew that he had to fight against his emotions and the warlock did the only thing that he could think of and sat on his hands. He hoped it would be enough to stop him from using magic, but as the hatred boiled down to focusing on Arthur and him alone, Merlin knew it wasn't going to work. He didn't rise, but instead his chin just jerked towards the door and the lock simply clicked.

Merlin knew that to be able to complete his task, he had to stay alive. That was why the magic was cautious when the curse took hold, it didn't want to be detected and the warlock was restrained and away from Arthur. So rather than blowing the doors off like the hatred seemed to want to do, it simply made the lock turn of its own accord and for the door to swing almost silently open. It seemed ironic; the door was never that quiet normally, nor was Merlin ever that stealthy as he slipped from the cell. His feet made no sound as he hurried up the steps and even his breathing seemed silent as he slipped out into the corridor.

There was no one around, the late hour meaning that most were either in bed or out in the town rather than still roaming the castle. The part of Merlin that was still himself had to wonder whether the curse was timed, whether it knew that this was an opportune moment. But he couldn't dwell on it for long, as he had more pressing matters to focus on. Namely the fact that he was moving towards Arthur's chambers, where he knew the king would be asleep and unprotected, and there didn't seem to be anything he could do in order to stop himself.

Merlin tried everything he could. He tried to walk in a different direction, tried toppling an ornamental vase in one corridor with the hope that it would make enough noise to attract attention. But it was as if he himself was cushioned, nothing was having an effect. He just continued to move towards Arthur, turning corners at exactly the right moment to avoid being detected. Every step he took, the feeling of hatred grew stronger.

By the time he reached Arthur's door, Merlin was trembling in rage. Yet for a reason he didn't understand, he didn't use magic to open the door, he simply pressed down on the handle and let himself in. He knew that Arthur was in there, the soft light given off by a low-burning fire betrayed the king's presence. But he also knew that Arthur had no reason to suspect the cells wouldn't hold Merlin, so he hadn't thought to guard against his servant.

There was a soft murmur of voices filtering through the chambers and Merlin found himself creeping forward. He was still doing everything he could to try and make some sort of noise, to warn Arthur that he was there, but his body was refusing to listen to him. Instead, all he could do was watch in horror as his hand drifted to the table as he passed and he silently picked up the dagger that Arthur had left there. It was only a small one, a ceremonial knife more than anything. Yet it still had the potential to do some damage if Merlin's aim was true.

Armed and ready, the servant moved forward again. It was perfect, Arthur's back was to him as the king stared out of a window. His words were muffled from where his body cut off their movement through the air, but the fact that he was still speaking meant Merlin knew the king had no idea what was going on behind him. One glance was all it took to know that Arthur's companion certainly wouldn't be giving the king any warning. Unlike Arthur, Aggravaine was watching Merlin approach, a small smile on his face as the warlock lifted the dagger. He deliberately spoke again, keeping Arthur's attention fixed on their conversation rather than the approaching assassin.

Merlin lifted his arm, the angle of the dagger poised to drive straight into Arthur's back. He took another step forward, an internal part of him screaming as he knew there would be nothing he could do in order to stop himself. He could feel tears slipping down his face as his body reacted to his distress, but he couldn't truly feel the anguish as he stepped into reach. His arm drew back, the muscles tensing. He glanced towards Aggravaine, who merely nodded once before bringing his arm slamming down towards Arthur. All it would take was one blow and all of this would be over.

But despite the odds, that one blow never fell. Arthur turned smoothly as Merlin lunged forward, catching Merlin's wrist in an open palm. In one movement, he twisted the warlock's arm, bending it up behind his back and disarming him at the same time. The pressure was so great that Merlin had no choice but to drop to his knees, gasping for breath. It had been enough though. The curse had once again been satisfied for now that it had made an attempt on Arthur's life and had backed away slightly. Not as much as before, Merlin was horrified to realise, but enough that he knew he was thinking straight again.

He went limp in Arthur's hold, trying to tell the king without words that it was him rather than the cursed version that Arthur was pinning down. The grip didn't lessen, however, and Merlin resigned himself to having to wait. He glanced over his shoulder, trying to see Arthur's expression. Instead, he could just make out the window and he inwardly smirked. The cursed him clearly was no more intelligent than Arthur believed the real him to be.

Arthur had known that he was there the whole time. He hadn't just been staring out of the window distractedly while Merlin had been approaching, he had been watching the reflection. He had clearly realised that Merlin would change tactics if he knew that he had been caught out and instead had just let the warlock approach. It hadn't been chance that had caused Arthur to turn at that moment, it had been precise calculation.

But as Merlin stared into the reflection, realising how powerless he looked considering the way Arthur was holding him down, he realised it wasn't just him that Arthur had been able to see. Even from on his knees and peering around Arthur's legs, he could see Aggravaine. That must mean that Arthur had surely seen his uncle's actions as well? Not only the way Aggravaine had watched Merlin approach, but the nod that he had given him? Surely Arthur had seen his uncle actively encourage his servant to drive a dagger into his back?

"Uncle, pass me that belt would you? We must find a way to restrain this murderer before we can escort him back to the cells."

"Arthur!" Merlin couldn't help the gasp from escaping him, especially when the king pulled his other arm behind him and bound his wrists with the belt that Aggravaine handed over. Surely he knew that it hadn't been Merlin, that it had been the curse once again taking hold? How could he think..?

Merlin stopped his thoughts there as Arthur tightened the knot. There was almost something in Arthur's movements that was warning him to stay quiet. Merlin snapped his mouth shut, frowning as he felt Arthur run his hand between the belt and his skin, making sure it wasn't too tight before stepping back.

"Arthur…"

"I need you to fetch the guards, Uncle. Then you should retire to your chambers. I'll make sure you are guarded…"

"Surely, Sire, it is you who should be guarded…"

"He will no doubt want to cover his tracks, and you have witnessed his attack. You are in danger, Uncle, and I will not see you harmed."

"My Lord…" Aggravaine looked like he wanted to protest, but Merlin had shuffled himself around until he could face the pair. He knew the posture Arthur had adopted, knew that there was no way Aggravaine was going to be able to argue his way out of it. Eventually, the older man bowed and strode for the door. Arthur didn't move until it had clicked shut behind the man, then he let out a long breath, bent down and whipped away the belt again.

"Sorry, needs must," he sighed. Merlin brought his hands back in front of him, rubbing at his wrists and staring at his master as if he had gone mad.

"Any reason why you wanted to declare to your uncle that I was a murderer?"

"Apart from you trying to sink a dagger into my back?"

"Arthur, you know that…"

"Wasn't you, yes I know." Merlin suddenly realised how tired Arthur looked as he sank into a chair, running a hand over his eyes before glancing at the door. It wasn't just tiredness, Merlin realised. It was a look of deep sorrow.

"It's been him all along, hasn't it?"

"Sire?" Merlin didn't know what to say. He didn't know what Arthur wanted him to say, so just settled for taking that moment to climb to his feet. Arthur looked at him long and steadily.

"I know why you wanted me to lock you in the cells, and I know that you know who the traitor is. If you aren't telling me, it's because it is someone with high rank that I listen to. If that is the case, then they have the authority to release you from the cells and potentially set you after me again. I came down to the cells, Merlin. And so did Aggravaine."

Merlin could only stare at Arthur. He thought the king had just left him down there and not picked up on what Merlin had been planning. He thought the whole thing had backfired and that Arthur had stayed away rather than coming down. Then again, he also thought that Aggravaine had stayed away and he had just managed to get himself locked up for an entire afternoon.

"Arthur…"

"And then just now. I know he saw you. Hell, I saw him nod. He wanted you to do it, he was going to just…and you… he…"

Arthur's hands gripped the edge of the table and Merlin was startled to see that he was shaking, although whether it was with upset or rage, he wasn't sure. He never could predict Arthur when it came to matters of the heart.

"Just tell me once and for all, Merlin. Is Aggravaine the traitor that gave away our location and therefore allowed the bandits to attack us and almost cost you your life?"

Merlin swallowed hard. He knew that he had to say yes, he had to tell Arthur while he could. But could he let the king deal with the threat coming from two places? Yet there was something in Arthur's expression that made Merlin realise that he couldn't lie to the king. Not this time, not after everything else that was going on. If something happened to him, he had to make sure that Arthur knew to watch his back. Not being able to look Arthur in the eye, he slowly nodded.

Arthur exhaled sharply and by the time Merlin dared to look back up, he was sitting back in his chair, anger written all over his face.

"He was the one to sell you out to Morgana. Because of him, you could have been killed…"

"And you still could," Merlin finished quietly, his voice glum as he picked at a stray thread on his trousers. To his surprise, Arthur laughed.

"Because of you? I don't think so, Merlin, you've already proven you're a pathetic assassin. Gaius will be getting close to having the answers by now and you'll be back to yourself in no time. Of course, it would help if Aggravaine didn't send his lackey's to break you out of the cells."

"What?"

"How else would you have gotten out? He must have told one of them to go and do it while he was here with me." Merlin didn't react, knowing that it was better to let Arthur believe that for now other than the truth. He just hoped that if Arthur questioned Aggravaine, he wouldn't believe his uncle when he said that he had nothing to do with Merlin's escape.

"…and then he stayed with me to make sure that I was distracted while you tried to kill me. But I don't understand, why would he want me dead?"

Arthur moved so quickly that Merlin was looking his king in the eye before he had the chance to look away. He sighed and shook his head sadly.

"I don't know, Arthur. But yes, it is Aggravaine. He's been in league with Morgana for months now. Possibly even from the beginning, I'm not sure. What… what are you going to do?"

Merlin wasn't sure whether he should be worried or not by the gleam that suddenly seemed to spring into existence in Arthur's eyes.

"He's not the only one ordering lackey's about. The only guards he will find are my knights, and they aren't protecting him, they are keeping him under guard. He won't be going anywhere for the time being, nor will he have any idea that I know."

Merlin bit his tongue. He knew that Aggravaine wasn't stupid, the chances were that he would figure out that Arthur was realising something just by the manner through which he was dismissed. But if Arthur had a plan that he truly believed could work, then that was good enough for Merlin. Right now, he knew that he needed to get as far away from the king as possible and help Gaius find a cure for him first. Aggravaine could wait. He almost didn't matter if Merlin couldn't break free of the curse and killed Arthur first. He moved towards the door, causing Arthur to stare at him.

"Where are you going?" he almost sounded bewildered that Merlin was leaving and the warlock had to smile fondly.

"I need to get away from you, Arthur. I can't hurt you again."

Knowing that Arthur was about to protest, Merlin left before he could open his mouth. He just couldn't risk it.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you so much once again for the lovely support, it means the world!_

* * *

"Gaius, please, there has to be something!" Merlin knew that he was begging, but he had had enough. After leaving Arthur, he had returned straight to the physician. Arthur had been right about one thing – the physician had to be getting close to finding some answers. But other than a way to momentarily stop the snake, the old man didn't seem to have any idea about what they needed to do next.

At least, he didn't seem to have any idea that he was going to admit to.

Merlin had seen that look in his eye before. It normally meant that Gaius did have a solution, he just didn't want to say anything about it because he knew that it would involve Merlin putting his life in danger. More often than not, Merlin was the only one with a chance, but he knew that Gaius didn't think of it like that. In the old man's eyes, he had promised to look after his ward and that didn't mean telling him things that would have him running off into danger, even if Merlin was the only one who would be able to save the kingdom from being destroyed from whatever that threat of the week was.

But while he knew what the look meant, Merlin also knew how stubborn the old man could be. He couldn't blame him, not considering that he had spent most of his life serving a Pendragon. They certainly needed a healthy dose of stubbornness in order to be able to deal with them, but Merlin wasn't used to that same character trait being turned on him. He knew that while Gaius looked like that, it didn't matter what he had found out, Merlin was not going to hear about it.

"Nothing that will work for sure, therefore nothing you need to concern yourself with. Why don't you do some of my deliveries for me while I carry on looking?"

"Or why don't you do the deliveries while I look? That way I won't have to leave the chambers and so can't be any more of a threat than I already am?" Merlin asked, crossing his arms and practically glaring at his mentor. They were sitting on either side of the workbench, a pile of books in between them. Merlin was convinced that if he could get the old man to leave the room, he would be able to find the piece of information that Gaius had clearly stumbled across. The physician couldn't feel guilty if he wasn't the one to actually tell Merlin about what it was that he had found.

"You're not staying in here unattended," Gaius said sharply and Merlin flinched. It was only at the last second did he realise the man's eyes had drifted over to his potions shelf as he did so. As Gaius sighed apologetically, Merlin figured out what had been going through his head. If Merlin was left in here without anyone to guard him, he would have access to all sorts of poisons. Considering he was spending half of his time trying to kill the king at the moment and living with Gaius had given him knowledge about the potions, the risk was too great. Merlin sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Then what am I supposed to do, Gaius? It's killing me, let alone Arthur, to know that Morgana is using me in such a way. What if Arthur isn't as quick on the mark next time? What if I use my magic against him again?"

"You won't."

"How can you be sure?"

"Your magic is destined to protect Arthur, Merlin. It would fight against you before it let you use it to truly harm him. Immobilise him, maybe, but not deliver the killing blow. It would…" Gaius broke off, but Merlin didn't let it drop. After a few prompts, the physician looked at him gravely. "It would destroy you first. Your magic would turn against you rather than letting you use it against Arthur."

Somehow, that gave Merlin comfort. He had been terrified to think that he would just simply blast Arthur into oblivion with nothing more than a heated glare. He wouldn't have time to fight against himself if a thought was all it took, for when the curse was active he knew nothing other than the desire to kill.

"We will find a way through this, Merlin," Gaius reached across the table and squeezed his wrist gently, trying to convey reassurance. Merlin forced a smile onto his face, knowing that it was troubling the old man that his attitude seemed so defeatist. He just hated feeling this helpless, knowing that he potentially couldn't be the one to solve the problem this time. No doubt magic was needed to break the spell, but he couldn't be trusted right now.

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Merlin moaned, wanting to go out and hunt down a solution but knowing that he was more likely to be drawn to Arthur's chambers if he left. This time, Gaius grinned, a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Well, the leech tank does need cleaning."

Rolling his eyes, Merlin returned the smile and stood up, disappearing up the stairs to his bedroom. Checking that no one was about to walk in, he prised loose his floorboard and brought out his old book. He didn't need it so much these days, not compared to when he first had arrived in Camelot. But maybe there would be something in there that would give him an answer. He was aware of Gaius taking a few steps up towards him, but then the old man stopped and didn't come any closer.

"At least shut the door, Merlin," he called, sounding resigned. Merlin grinned, letting his eyes flash and his hand wave carelessly in the direction of the door even while he was still flicking through the pages. Gaius had clearly seen what he was doing and was prepared to let Merlin hunt down answers in his own way.

Merlin neither knew nor particularly cared whether Gaius had gone on his rounds or not. All he knew was that he was determined to find some answers. His mentor's words about his magic stopping him before it could hurt his destiny were reassuring but it wasn't enough. Arthur might have stopped his attacks up until now, but even the king couldn't stay awake around the clock. Merlin had already found out the hard way that his magic might not hurt Arthur, but it had no qualms with being used to get close to Arthur. The warlock knew he couldn't risk his magic incapacitating any guards Arthur had ordered into position just to allow him to get close when Arthur was sleeping.

He worked almost feverishly as the afternoon drew on. Part of him expected Arthur to come bursting in at any moment, demanding to know why Merlin thought that he could walk off without the king's say so. But something was clearly keeping him occupied, for which Merlin was grateful. He could feel the snake once again stirring in his neck, knew that he was beginning to yet again run out of time before his treacherous body decided it needed to make another attempt on Arthur's life. When he was free of this curse, Merlin knew he was going to find ways to make sure it couldn't happen again. He had wanted his secret to be kept as just that, knowing Morgana would use the knowledge to her advantage and bring down Arthur that way if she could. But maybe that might have been the better option after all, for at least Merlin could have still protected him even if he was doing it in hiding and knowing that he would have to leave Camelot when it was over.

Anything was better than him being the cause of Arthur being hurt.

But his book was letting him down for the first time. Whatever Gaius had stumbled across, it clearly had only been mentioned in passing in one particular book. Nowhere in Merlin's magic book did it talk about mind controlling snakes and he couldn't help feeling slightly let down. Knowing that his only chance of fixing this before it was too late – regardless of the danger to himself – was finding whatever Gaius had discovered, Merlin carefully hid the book away again before letting the blood flow back to his frozen limbs from where he hadn't moved for several hours. Once he was satisfied that he wasn't about to fall over his own feet, Merlin moved towards the door.

If he ever looked back on that moment, he never would have been able to say why he moved so silently. It was as if something was telling him to keep quiet, some gut instinct that he was listening to without really noticing it. But Merlin made not a sound as he crept to his door and opened it just enough to peer out. To his utmost surprise, Gaius was in the chambers below.

But he wasn't alone.

No wonder Arthur hadn't come storming in, for the man was sitting barely ten paces from where Merlin had frozen, deep in conversation with the physician. Both men were whispering, clearly knowing that only a door separated them from Merlin and they didn't want him hearing. Arthur glanced up towards his servant's door and Merlin thought that he had been discovered. But for once, the king's usually sharp senses were distracted. Merlin hadn't opened the door enough for Arthur to notice and he wasn't even sure whether the king's eyes had truly focused on it or just glanced in that general direction. Either way, Arthur almost immediately turned back to Gaius.

Crouching down so he couldn't be seen – knowing they clearly didn't want him to know about any of this – Merlin let the magic increase his hearing. He knew it was dangerous using his power this close to Arthur, especially with the snake and the curse stirring again, but he had to know what they were talking about. The spell was effective and the next time Arthur spoke, Merlin could hear him as if he was standing right next to him.

"…and you're sure destroying this thing will be enough to free him?"

"I'm certain of it, Sire. I just don't know how you are going to get close enough in order to destroy it with Morgana out there."

"Don't worry, Gaius. I'll find a way. I know a few people who will be willing enough to be a distraction. It's Merlin, after all."

"He wouldn't forgive himself if any harm came to any of you, Arthur."

"He's not the only one."

Merlin pulled the magic back for a moment, stunned. Gaius had clearly told Arthur what it was that he had found out, and it was something to do with Morgana's hut. There was obviously something in the hut that was the root of the magic, the anchor keeping the curse active even though Merlin had been fighting it off for so long now. Arthur fully intended going after it, no doubt taking their friends with him, to destroy it. Merlin knew he should be touched and grateful that the king clearly wanted to help (despite knowing that Arthur would have never admitted it in so many words, especially considering they were having this meeting in secret), but all he could feel was annoyance. What was Gaius thinking, allowing Arthur to get ideas about going after Morgana alone? If even Merlin couldn't stop her, then what chance did the king have?

The closing of the main chamber door broke Merlin from his musings and he knew that he had hesitated too long. Arthur had left, having no idea that his servant had overheard everything. He was probably already on his way to the stables, summoning the guards to collect the knights he wanted to go with him. He wouldn't wait for Merlin, he was making sure he was leaving before his servant had another chance at killing him. Merlin wrenched open his own door at the same time, causing Gaius to jump.

The physician looked guiltily towards the door before back at Merlin.

"Merlin, did you…"

"How could you send him out there without me?" Merlin didn't see the point of pretending. He didn't have time. He knew how fast Arthur could move (and inspire others to move) when he had the motivation. Although Merlin would never have believed it if he hadn't heard it with his own eyes, it seemed that he was the right motivation for his king.

"She'll kill him! She'll kill him as soon as she senses him getting near and then the prat will come back and haunt me about not killing him first…" Merlin was moving even as he was talking, heading towards the door. Gaius stepped in his way, cutting Merlin off. The warlock blinked in surprise. He had honestly believed his guardian would let him go.

"Gaius…"

"No, Merlin, not this time. This time it is our turn to look after you. You're not going after him."

"You can't stop me, Gaius," Merlin said sorrowfully. He could already feel his magic bubbling under the surface. Something of it must have shown in his face, however, for Gaius backed away quickly. He seemed to know the servant was not going to be kept here, no matter what happened.

"Merlin, I… Just be careful, my boy. You make sure that you come back as well as Arthur, you hear me?"

Merlin grinned and nodded, but couldn't trust his voice to actually say anything. He couldn't promise for he knew that if it was between him and Arthur, there really wasn't any question about it. It was because of him that Arthur was even in this danger, there was no way Merlin was going to let the fool actually die for him, Camelot needed him too much.

"I'll clean the leech tank when I get back," he promised instead, pleased to see it caused a smile to appear on Gaius' face. The man pulled him forward into an embrace and Merlin allowed it to happen. After a couple of moments, however, he realised the old man didn't seem to have any intention of letting go. Merlin gently detangled himself, knowing the physician was just trying to stall him for even longer. No doubt he hoped if Arthur and the knights had ridden out by the time Merlin got to the stables, then the warlock would have to admit defeat and come back, thereby staying safe at the same time. The look on the man's face when Merlin pulled away told him that he was completely right.

"You know that I have to do this," Merlin said quietly, letting his hand rest on Gaius' shoulder. If this was his last moment, he didn't want the physician believing that Merlin was angry at him for letting Arthur go. Or, indeed, telling him what to look for. "It's my life she is ruining, it's my right to sort this mess out."

Gaius nodded, clearly understanding what Merlin was getting at. He stepped to one side, trying to make himself smile. Merlin gave him a nod and strode for the door, determined to catch up with his master before it was too late. He had spent too long fighting against the curse to lose Arthur to Morgana now.

Hurrying from the room, Merlin tried not to think about what he would actually do if Arthur was already gone. He hadn't exactly been with it when they had returned to Camelot, he wasn't entirely sure in which direction Morgana's hut lay. All he could hope was that he reached the stables in time.

Little did Merlin know that he wouldn't get as far as the stables at all.

He had only made it a few steps into the corridor when he could feel the curse returning, stronger than ever. Due to his magic having already been active over the frustration of Arthur going without him, Merlin could feel himself fighting back. Unlike all the previous times, however, it almost felt like he was actually winning. While the curse was lurking at his sub-consciousness, it wasn't completely dominating his thoughts in the way it had done previously. He still knew where he was and what he was doing. But the clash between magic and curse drove the breath from Merlin and before he knew what was happening, he had sunk to his knees in the middle of the corridor.

Hoping that Arthur being further away would make it easier to resist, Merlin didn't even attempt to get up. Instead, he doubled over and allowed his magic to fight back, hard. For the first time since he had awoken in Morgana's hut, Merlin had the sense that he was actually winning. Arthur's life was in danger from another source other than himself and that was enough to help clear Merlin's head a little.

After a few moments (although it felt like a lifetime to the somewhat dazed warlock), Merlin started to struggle upright again. He could hear footsteps coming down the corridor towards him and he had no intention of being found in a position that would only lead to questions being asked. Reaching up, Merlin managed to clutch onto a ledge, digging his fingers in as a way of beginning to pull himself up. He only made it halfway before he heard a low chuckle sounding directly in front of him. With his eyes still fixed on the floor, Merlin swallowed hard at the black boots looming in his vision. There was only one person they could belong to.

Eyes full of determination, he forced himself upright, glaring into Aggravaine's smirking face. But he moved too slowly. The king's uncle was ready for him and brought the flat of his hand sharply against the back of Merlin's neck. The warlock felt himself hit the wall as he spiralled down to the floor, but he was out cold by the time his body collided with the ground.


End file.
